Abstract: A solid imaging device includes at least one pixel, the pixel including a photoelectric conversion section and a charge detection node which are coupled to or decoupled from each other via a transfer gate transistor, the charge detection node being coupled to or decoupled from a drain of a reset gate transistor via the reset gate transistor. After the reset gate resets a potential of the charge detection node, the transfer gate transistor is turned ON so as to allow a signal charge to be transferred from the photoelectric conversion section to the charge detection node, and thereafter a potential of the drain is changed from a HIGH state to a LOW state to a HIGH state while both of the transfer gate transistor and the reset gate transistor are maintained in an ON state.

Abstract: An IC card inserted into a navigation apparatus that provides guidance regarding a route to a destination so as to store information about the route. The information about relations and image data related to the route are recorded in the IC card in correspondence with locations along the route.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus including location information acquiring means for acquiring current location information and image pickup means for capturing an image of a desired object and outputting the captured image. The image pickup apparatus further includes associating means for automatically relating the captured image to the current location information and outputting information about relations as management data, and includes recording means for recording the captured image, the current location information, and the management data to a removable solid-state storage medium.

Abstract: A pen type input device with a camera has improved usability as a result in improved construction of the device. The pen type input device with the camera is adapted for use in detecting both of a horizontally elongated object and a vertically elongated object. On the other hand, means for pointing to the object and the process content simultaneously, and further means for detecting the fact that the user is pointing to the object in an erroneous manner and for teaching a correct manner of pointing to the object depending thereon are provided.

Abstract: In a solid-state image-sensing device, after completion of image sensing by individual pixels, in each pixel, a signal ?VRB fed to a capacitor C1 connected to the gate of a first MOS transistor T1 is turned to a high level to make it easy for a negative electric charge to flow into the MOS transistor T1. This permits quick recombination of the positive electric charges accumulated at the drain and gate of the MOS transistor T1, at the gate of a MOS transistor T2, at the anode of a photodiode, and in a capacitor C2, and thereby makes quick resetting possible.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, first color filters arranged in an oblique direction for the pixels, second and third color filters arranged so that a same color is arranged in a horizontal direction, a circuit for adding together signals of two or more pixels each having the first color filter, which are adjacent to each other in an oblique direction, and a circuit for adding together the signals of two or more pixels each having the second color filter, which are arranged in a horizontal direction, and for adding together the signals of two or more pixels each having the third color filter, which are arranged in the horizontal direction.

Abstract: The image pickup system includes: MOS sensors arranged in an image pickup region of a semiconductor substrate in the form of a matrix and having photoelectric transfer layers; a peripheral circuit part formed in a region of the semiconductor substrate except for the image pickup region and having a driving circuit for driving the MOS sensors and a signal processing circuit for processing output signals from the MOS sensors; and microlenses, formed on the photoelectric transfer layers via a first insulating film, for condensing picture signals on the photoelectric transfer layers, wherein the driving circuit and the signal processing circuit in the peripheral circuit part are covered by a second insulating film, and the distance between the surface of the first insulating film and the semiconductor substrate is shorter than the distance between the surface of a second insulating film and the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A period for a long-term exposure signal is discriminated from a period for a short-term exposure signal. Based on a discrimination signal, an AGC gain selector switches a set value for the gain and a knee point selector switches a set value for the knee point, thereby independently controlling the gain and the knee point for each of the long-term exposure signal and the short-term exposure signal.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus including: recording means for recording information about a route to a destination to a removable storage medium, and associated means for automatically relating the route information to image data and updating information about relations as management data in the removable storage medium. The navigation apparatus further includes outputting means for outputting the image data and the management data recorded in the removable storage medium in conjunction with the route information.

Abstract: A method and systems for automatically configuring a hand-held camera to improve quality of an image taken with the camera of a particular subject at a photo opportunity site is disclosed. First, values for a set of camera setting parameters are optimized to enhance image quality of a picture taken at that location are determined. Next, wireless communication with the camera is established, and the set of setting parameter values are pushed to camera via the wireless communication to automatically configure the camera to take a picture of the subject.

Abstract: Device for mounting a tethered camera on a portable computer, including a base attached to a back of the computer's screen housing via an adhesive, a holder for the camera removably engaged to the base via cooperating mating members formed thereon, and a hinge in the holder allowing movement of the camera. The hinge includes two coil springs assembled over a pair of split shafts incorporated in the holder to provide a relatively high friction force on a pair of pins non-movably attached to the camera. The camera and holder combination can be attached to or detached from the base as need be, but the base can remain unobtrusively attached to the housing. When attached to the housing, the camera is stably held in position to allow easier hands-free use of the camera. A separate stand is also provided which can similarly mated with the holder.

Abstract: A white balance correcting device for correcting white balance by using video signals is arranged to be capable of accurately obtaining white balance even in a case where a picture includes only a small white part therein. The white balance correcting device is arranged to divide a picture into a plurality of blocks, to obtain a mean value of signals by averaging signals of each divided block as representing the block and a peak value of luminance from a signal having the highest luminance among others in each divided block also as representing the block, and to use, for white balance control, either the mean value or the peak value according to the state of the object of shooting.

Abstract: A digital camera has a plurality of fields of view combined with a panning and/or tilting functionality. The camera comprises: a camera housing (6) with an optical input (5), such as a lens or objective. The camera also has an image capturing unit for producing a digital image from light received through the optical input, a controller, a mirror (1) having a first plane surface (12) and a second curved surface (13), and a driving device (7) coupled to the mirror and adapted to rotate the mirror to a first position, where the first plane surface is inserted into an optical path (31) of the digital camera, thereby providing a first field of view of the digital camera. The driving device is also adapted to rotate the mirror to a second position, where the second curved surface is inserted into the optical path of the digital camera, thereby providing a second field of view of the digital camera.

Abstract: A hand-held, portable apparatus has been disclosed to facilitate the viewing of an object by the human eye. The apparatus provides an electronic camera unit disposed on a holder mechanism and in electrical communication with an image processor module to capture the image of an object and format the image for display on a display device also disposed on the holder mechanism. At least one user-interfaced control mechanism is also disposed on the holder mechanism and in electrical communication with the image processor module for controlling the operations of the module to regulate display of the image by the display device. In this way the viewing of an object by the human eye is facilitated by the use of camera and the image enhancing features of the image processor module.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus is disclosed to prevent recording of a degraded image by restricting setting of an electronic zoom function when a recording mode is set to a low-compression ratio mode or non-compression mode. The image pickup apparatus comprises a processing device for electronically enlarging an image picked up by an image pickup unit, a setting device for setting compressing operation for the image picked up by the image pickup unit, and a control device to restrict operation of the processing device in accordance with the compressing operation for the image which is set by the setting device. When a compression ratio equal to or less than a predetermined value is set by the recording mode setting unit or the non-compression mode is set, a system control circuit inhibits the electronic zoom function that tends to cause a deterioration in image quality from being turned on.

Abstract: This invention has as its object to provide an apparatus which can match the brightness of an image displayed on a viewfinder with a target luminance level in actual exposure. To achieve this object, the apparatus has an image sensing sensor for converting an optical image into an image signal, a viewfinder for displaying the image signal obtained by the image sensing sensor, and a correction device for correcting the brightness of the viewfinder in accordance with the difference between the luminance level of the image signal obtained by the image sensing sensor, and a target luminance level.

Abstract: An image processing method for compensating for light falloff in a digital image provides individual compensation values to correct light falloff in the image pixels of an input digital image; however, the individual compensation values induce a balance change in the digital image. Therefore, a balance value is determined for correcting the balance change of the digital image and the individual compensation values and the balance value are applied to the pixels of the input digital image to provide a corrected image having compensation for light falloff with minimal change to the light balance.

Abstract: A noise reduction circuit with high noise reduction effect and low power consumption for a high resolution charge coupled device (CCD) as well as for a usual resolution CCD is provided. A delay circuit delays an CCD output signal, and a pulse generator outputs a pulse signal having the same period that the CCD output signal has. A part of period during which the pulse signal is at a high level overlaps with a signal-level period oh the CCD output signal. A first non-additive mixing (NAM) circuit selects and output a lower level signal between the CCD output signal and the pulse signal. A second NAM circuit selects and outputs a lower level signal between the output signal from the delay circuit and the pulse signal. A difference circuit calculates difference between an output signal of the first NAM circuit and an output signal of the second NAM circuit.

Abstract: An all-white reference subject is imaged by a CCD and image data representing the reference subject is obtained. The position of any dust on the reference subject represented by the reference-subject image data is detected by a dust position detector. Address data representing the position of the dust is stored in a memory that stores dust address data. When the user images a subject, image data obtained by such imaging is input to a dust correction circuit. The dust address data is read from the memory and the image at the position represented by this dust address data is eliminated from the image of the subject by reason of the fact that the image at this position is that of dust.

Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus, a control method adapted for the image pickup apparatus, and a computer program product supplying a control program adapted for the image pickup apparatus, a photo-taken image obtained by a photo-taking operation is displayed in response to the photo-taking operation, and whether displaying of the photo-taken image displayed in response to the photo-taking operation is to be kept even after an operation of a photo-taking starting operation member for giving an instruction for starting photo-taking is canceled is decided.