Electronic still camera with slow-in, fast out memory addressing

Abstract

An electronic still camera which is provided with a video RAM temporarily storing a video signal outputted from an image pickup element, and reads out the video signal stored in the video RAM so as to record the signal in a floppy disc or format-convert it for a printer or an NTSC system, whereby the operation timing of the image pickup element can be controlled independently of other apparatus utilizing the output of the element, resulting in that the electronic still camera is realizable of high resolution without having a high frequency characteristic of the image pickup element.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic still camera comprising: an image pickup means for photoelectrically converting an image of an object to output video signals comprising picture elements;   an image storage means for storing said video signals for at least one picture plane;   a recording means for recording said video signals read out from said image storage means;   a processing means for processing said video signals read out from said image storage means;   a first control means for synchronously writing, at a first clock frequency, the output video signals of said image pickup means to said image storage means; and   a second control means for synchronously reading out, at a second clock frequency, the video signals stored in said storage means to said processing means, said second clock frequency being greater than said first clock frequency.     
     
     
       2. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 1, wherein said processing means includes a conversion means for converting said video signals read out from said image storage means into a signal different in format. 
     
     
       3. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 2, wherein said conversion means includes means for converting said video signals read out from said image storage means into a TV signal of NTSC system. 
     
     
       4. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 3, further comprising an electronic view finder for monitoring said TV signal of NTSC system. 
     
     
       5. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 2, wherein said conversion means includes means for converting said video signals read out from said image storage means into a TV signal of a high resolution TV format .Iadd.of resolution greater than a TV signal of NTSC system.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       6. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 5, further comprising an electronic view finder for monitoring said TV signal of a high resolution TV format. 
     
     
       7. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 2, wherein said conversion means includes means for converting a color video signal read out from said image storage means into a printer format. 
     
     
       8. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 1, wherein said recording means includes a floppy disc device. 
     
     
       9. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a signal separation means for separating said video signals read out from said image storage means into a luminance signal and a chrominance signal. 
     
     
       10. An electric still camera as set forth in claim 9, wherein said recording means records said luminance signal and chrominance signal. 
     
     
       11. An electric still camera as set forth in claim 2, wherein said video signals are stored in said image storage means in data line format and said conversion means comprises means for mixing data lines read out from said image storage means. .Iadd. 
     
     
       12.  An electronic still camera comprising: an image pickup means for photoelectrically converting an image of an object to output video signals comprising picture elements;   an image storage means for storing said video signals for at least one picture plane;   a recording means for recording said video signals read out from said image storage means;   a processing means for processing said video signals read out from said image storage means;   a first control means for synchronously writing, at a first clock frequency, the output video signals of said image pickup means to said image storage means; and   a second control means for synchronously reading out, at a second clock frequency, the video signals stored in said storage means to said processing means, said second clock frequency being different from said first clock frequency. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 12, wherein said processing means includes a conversion means for converting said video signals read out from said image storage means into a signal different in format. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 13, wherein said conversion means includes means for converting said video signals read out from said image storage means into a TV signal of NTSC system. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 14, further comprising an electronic view finder for monitoring said TV signal of NTSC system.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.16.  An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 13, wherein said conversion means includes means for converting said video signals read out from said image storage means into a TV signal of a high resolution TV format of resolution greater than a TV signal of NTSC 
     
     
        system. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17.  An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 16, further comprising an electronic view finder for monitoring said TV signal of a high resolution TV format. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 13, wherein said conversion means includes means for converting a color video signal read out from said image storage means into a printer format. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 12, wherein said recording means includes a floppy disc device. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 12, further comprising a signal separation means for separating said video signals read out from said image storage means into a luminance signal and a chrominance signal. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 20, wherein said recording means records said luminance signal and chrominance signal. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 13, wherein said video signals are stored in said image storage means in data line format and said conversion means comprises means for mixing data lines read out from said image storage means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. An electronic still camera comprising: an image pickup means for photoelectrically converting an image of an object to output video signals comprising picture elements;   an image storage means for storing said video signals for at least one picture plane;   a recording means for recording said video signals read out from said image storage means;   a processing means for processing said video signals read out from said image storage means;   a first control means for synchronously reading the output video signals of said image pickup means at a first clock frequency, and writing said output video signals of said image pickup means to said image storage means at a second clock frequency less than said first clock frequency; and   a second control means for synchronously reading out the video signals stored in said storage means to said processing means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 23, wherein said processing means includes a conversion means for converting said video signals read out from said image storage means into a signal different in format. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 24, wherein said conversion means includes means for converting said video signals read out from said image storage means into a TV. signal of NTSC system. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 25, further comprising an electronic view finder for monitoring   
     
     
        said TV signal of NTSC system. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27.  An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 24, wherein said conversion means includes means for converting said video signals read out from said image storage means into a TV signal of a high resolution TV format of resolution 
     
     
        greater than a TV signal of NTSC system. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28.  An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 27, further comprising an electronic view finder for monitoring said TV signal of a high resolution TV format. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 24, wherein said conversion means includes means for converting a color video signal read out from said image storage means into a printer format. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 23, wherein said recording means includes a floppy disc device. .Iaddend. .Iadd.31. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 23, further comprising a signal separation means for separating said video signals read out from said image storage means into a luminance signal and a chrominance signal. .Iaddend. .Iadd.32. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 31, wherein said recording means records said luminance signal and chrominance signal. .Iaddend. .Iadd.33. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 24, wherein said video signals are stored in said image storage means in data line format and said conversion means comprises means for mixing data lines read out from said image storage 
     
     
        means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.34.  An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 24, wherein said mixing means comprises means for combining data for video signals stored as separate lines to provide data for a single line. .Iaddend. .Iadd.35. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 12, including means for reducing a noise content of the video signals output from the image pickup means by reducing said first clock frequency, and read out means for reading out the video signals stored in said storage means at said second clock frequency, said second clock frequency corresponding to a standard operating frequency of a utilizing device connected thereto. .Iaddend. .Iadd.36. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 12, further including read out means for reading out the video signals stored in said storage means at said second clock frequency, said second clock frequency corresponding to a standard operating frequency of a utilizing device connected to the camera, wherein the utilizing device comprises a display device operating at said standard frequency and said read out means comprises means for transmitting a synchronizing signal to the display device at said standard frequency. .Iaddend. .Iadd.37. An electronic still camera as set forth in claim 36, further comprising means for reducing a noise content of the video signals output from the image pickup means, said means for reducing a noise content comprising timing means for causing a horizontal scanning period of said image pickup means to be greater than a horizontal scanning period of the display device thereby causing a data output rate from said image pickup means to be lower than a standard data input rate for the display device.