Image pickup apparatus and method, signal processing apparatus and method, and wearable signal processing apparatus

A signal processing apparatus for processing a video signal, said apparatus comprising:

• generating means, having bi-directional image pickup devices, for shooting scenes in a first direction and a second direction and for generating a first video signal and a second video signal respectively corresponding to the scenes of the first and second directions;
• compression means, connected to said generating means, for receiving said first and second video signals and for performing a compression process on said first and second source video signals with variable compression rates to generate a first compressed video signal and a second compressed video signal;
• transmitting means for transmitting said first and second compressed video signals with variable transmission rates;
• detecting means for detecting an event in a shooting position to generate a detection signal indicating at least a direction in which said event occurred;
• and
• controlling means for controlling said variable compression rates and said variable transmission rates in response to said detection signal such that the video signal corresponding to said detection has priority.

A wearable signal processing apparatus comprising:

• an image pickup device for generating a source video signal;
• a signal processing device, connected to said image pickup device, for receiving said source video signal and for performing image compression on said source video signal to generate compressed video signal with variable compression rates;
• a recording device for recording said compressed video signal on a recording media with variable frame rates;
• and
• a mounting device for mounting said image pickup device, signal processing device and recording device on a cloth of the operator, whereby said devices are worn by the mounting device.

An image pickup apparatus comprising:

• video signal generating means for generating video signals for a plurality of directions;
• signal processing means for changing at least one of a frame rate and a compression rate of said video signals;
• detection means for detecting a predetermined condition;
• and
• controlling means for controlling said signal processing means so as to change the appropriate one or ones of the frame rate and compression rate of said video signals in at least one of said directions on the basis of the detected predetermined condition,
• whereby said image pickup apparatus is intended to be mounted on an article of clothing worn by an operator.

A method for use with an image pickup method, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating video signals in a first direction and a second direction;
• changing at least one of a frame rate and a compression rate of said video signals in the first and the second direction;
• detecting a predetermined condition;
• and
• controlling said changing step so as to change the appropriate one or ones of the frame rate and compression rate of said video signals in the first and/or the second direction on the basis of the detected predetermined condition.

A signal processing method for processing a video signal, said method comprising the steps of:

• capturing scenes in a first direction and a second direction and generating a first video signal and a second video signal respectively corresponding to the scenes of the first and second directions using a bi-directional image pickup device;
• detecting an event and generating a detection signal in response thereto;
• processing said first and second video signals so as to perform at least one of a compression operation in which said first and second video signals are processed with variable compression rates and a frame rate operation in which said first and second video signals are processed with variable frame rates so as to form first and second processed video signals;
• transmitting said first and second processed video signals;
• and
• controlling the appropriate one or ones of said variable compression rates and said variable frame rates in response to said detection signal,
• wherein the bi-directional image pickup device is intended to be mounted on an article of clothing worn by an operator.