Abstract: An ink jet printer comprises at least one ink jet head, in which plural nozzles are arranged in an array in a main scan direction, and eject a droplet of ink to recording material respectively at an ejected amount according to information of an image. Feeder rollers feed the recording material relative to the ink jet head in a sub scan direction, to print the image to the recording material two-dimensionally. A thermal head includes plural heating elements arranged in an array in the main scan direction, for applying heat to the recording material respectively in a heating region. A system controller sets drying heat energy according to the ejected amount, and drives the thermal head to apply the drying heat energy to the heating region, to promote drying of the droplet in the heating region.

Abstract: A digital electric still camera is provided having a CCD image sensor and a memory card for recording digital image data of picture frames photographed by the CCD image sensor. The image data is compressed before being recorded, and the data compression rate is selectable by operating a picture mode button. The selected data compression rate is recorded along with the image data during photographing. When reproducing a picture frame on a monitor TV, the data compression rate is read together with the image data, so that the image data is expanded in correspondence to the data compression rate, and the data compression rate is displayed on a display device, such as a LCD panel provided on the digital electric still camera, in association with the serial number of the picture frame.

Abstract: An amount-of-light-emission control data for controlling the amount of light-emission is corrected so that the amount of strobe light-emission becomes proper. In the adjustment process after manufacturing a digital still camera, a subject is placed in a predetermined position, and is photographed by determining a predetermined guide number GN. A guide number GN corresponding to the amount of light-emission of a strobe 45 is calculated from a video signal obtained by the photography. The predetermined actual guide number GN and the guide number GN corresponding to the actual amount of light-emission are compared with each other, to correct the value of control data for determining the amount of light-emission so that there is no difference therebetween. The corrected or updated value of control data in which the predetermined updated corrected guide number GN and the guide number GN corresponding to the actual amount of light-emission are approximately equal to each other is stored in a memory 6.

Abstract: In a method of and apparatus for split photometry, a plurality of split photometric areas are established by setting a plurality of horizontal and vertical photometric intervals respectively within intervals in a horizontal scanning direction and a vertical scanning direction of the solid-state electronic image sensing device. An extracted luminance-signal component is integrated over a horizontal integration interval designated by an integration control signal. Integrated values obtained by the integration operation are summed, in every split photometric area, over the corresponding vertical photometric interval, and a photometric value is calculated for every split photometric area based upon the value obtained by summing the integrated values in another embodiment, data for controlling exposure or controlling the focusing of an image pick-up lens can be obtained for each of a plurality of blocks set in a photographic area.

Abstract: A video signal, which is obtained from a solid-state electronic image sensing device, is used to obtain a photometric value corresponding to the environment in which a subject is present. Photometric areas that differ for every field in one frame are set within a photographic area of a CCD. A luminance-signal component extracted from the video signal by a Y.sub.L synthesizing circuit is integrated by an integrating circuit, under the control of a CPU, with respect to a horizontal scanning interval and vertical scanning interval corresponding to the photometric area. Obtained integrated values are added field by field and a photometric value is calculated field by field from the value resulting from adding the integrated values.

Abstract: A strobe control method is provided for use in an image pick-up system which performs pseudo-frame photography by staggering, for a prescribed short period of time, the timings at which the photoelectric transducers of a first field and the photoelectric transducers of a second field are cleared in solid-state electronic image sensing devices, and staggering, between the first and second fields and for the aforementioned prescribed short period of time, the timings at which electric charges are read from these photoelectric transducers. The strobe control method includes steps of controlling strobe-light emission in such a manner that the start timing of strobe-light emission occurs after the processing for clearing both fields, and forcibly stopping strobe-light emission for a requisite period of time before charge readout timing of the first field.

Abstract: A memory card has a volatile semiconductor memory for storing therein image data, a built-in battery as a backup power for preserving the image data in the volatile semiconductor memory, and a non-volatile memory for storing therein data related to an alarm of a decrease in a voltage of the built-in battery. When the memory card is loaded on the digital, electronic, still camera, the data concerning the alarm state is read from the loaded memory card and the voltage value of the battery is sensed. If the value of the battery voltage thus determined is less than a threshold voltage attained from the data read from the memory card, an alarm is notified.

Abstract: An image pickup device which, in placing a phase type optical low pass filter in front of a taking lens, is able to cope with the varying focal distances of the taking lens only by a single piece of phase type optical low pass filter and which is also able to obtain a large quantity of information to be used for focusing detection in the auto focusing (AF) operation. The image pickup device is composed of a taking lens having a variable focal distance, a solid state image pickup element on which an object light image is formed through the taking lens, a phase type optical low pass filter which is disposed in front of the taking lens in a freely rotatable manner, and a device for rotating the phase type optical low pass filter according to the focal distances of the taking lens so as to be able to remove a given spatial frequency component corresponding to the pixel pitch of the solid state image pickup element.

Abstract: A multiple-CPU system including a main CPU and at least one subordinate CPU connected thereto. Both the main and subordinate CPU are provided with a respective voltage detector circuit for detecting when a main or primary power supply voltage for the CPU's has dropped below a predetermined threshold level. When the respective detector circuit outputs a signal indicating detection of the drop in main power supply voltage, the respective CPU is placed in a standby state. However, the threshold level of the detector circuit of the main CPU is set to a voltage lower than the threshold level of the detector circuit of the subordinate CPU. As a result, the subordinate CPU is placed in a standby state before the main CPU. The main CPU is equipped with an auxiliary power supply so that when the subordinate CPU is placed in a standby state, automatic recovery is thereafter carried out by the main CPU.

Abstract: In a camera having a power source shared between a charging circuit for a strobe emission and a camera function section other than the charging circuit, the charging operation is inhibited during an operation of the camera function section and a battery check is inhibited during the charging operation. As a result, a runaway of a CPU of the camera due to the voltage reduction of the power source in the charging operation is avoided; moreover, inhibition of a shooting operation due to the battery check is prevented, thereby efficiently utilizing the battery capacity.

Abstract: A magnetic head advancing apparatus which advances a magnetic head to be brought into contact with a magnetic recording medium (head loading) in response to a latch-type solenoid when a power supply switch is closed. The magnetic head is separated from the magnetic recording medium (head unloading) in response to a latch-type solenoid when the power supply switch is opened, when the power supply voltage drops below a predetermined level, or when the power supply (a battery) is ejected from the apparatus. This makes it possible to prevent local permanent deformation of a magnetic disk caused by prolonged abutting contact between the magnetic head and the magnetic disk.

Abstract: A mechanism for moving an object rectilinearly by reducing the speed of motor rotation and converting this rotational motion into rectilinear motion is provided with a first sensor for generating first pulses having a frequency conforming to the rotational speed of the motor, a second sensor for generating second pulses having a frequency conforming to the reduced rotational speed and a pulse interval which is n times that of the first pulses, and third sensor for generating a third output when the object arrives at a predetermined position. A counter is initialized when the first pulse, second pulse and third output satisfy a predetermined condition. Depending upon the direction in which the object is moved, the first pulses are counted up or down by counter. Whenever the second pulses are generated, the count recorded in the counter is forcibly corrected to the value of n.times.m (where m is 0 or an integer) that is closest to the count.

Abstract: An electronic still camera which photographs an object by image pickup means such as a solid image pickup element or the like and records the video signal of the object into a rotary recording medium such as a magnetic disc or the like. The electronic still camera includes a mechanical shutter and an electronic shutter function to control electrically the accumulation time of the image pickup means and it is adapted such that, when the shutter speed is slower than a predetermined value, it controls a time for exposure to the image pickup means by the mechanical shutter and, when the shutter speed is higher than the predetermined value, it controls the exposure time to the image pickup means by means of the electronic shutter function and also controls the mechanical shutter to remain open at least for the exposure time.

Abstract: A recording/playback apparatus is provided with a plurality of controllers (inclusive of CPU's) which, by communicating with one another, share control of each of the components of the recording/playback apparatus or of the entire apparatus. Communication among the controllers is performed in the second half of one period of a signal related to the rotational reference phase of a rotating recording medium. This makes it possible for control requiring high precision to be performed in the first half of the aforementional period without being affected by high-priority interrupts which accompany communication control. Further, in order that the aforementioned communication may be carried out in the second half of the above mentioned period, message editing is performed in the first half of the same period. This enables prompt communication processing during the short time in the second half of the period without an unnecessary waste of time.

Abstract: A search range for detecting the peak position of an envelope on a rotating magnetic recording medium is limited to a predetermined range on either side of an absolute track position of each track on the recording medium. A limitation is also placed upon the number of times a magnetic head is fed within this predetermined range. If a peak cannot be decided even when the magnetic head is fed the limited number of times, the final position of the magnetic head is adopted compulsorily as the peak position. As a result it is possible to reduce the time needed for peak position detection processing. When an envelope cannot be detected with the predetermined range, the absolute track position is adopted as the peak position.

Abstract: An electronic still camera has a mechanical diaphragm mechanism for controlling the exposure of an image surface. The diaphragm mechanism includes an exposure plate having an opening of an aperture greater than an effective aperture corresponding to an open f-stop value, and at least one opening equal to an effective aperature corresponding to an f-stop value. By shifting the diaphragm plate, it is possible to set at least two types of f-stop values which include the open f-stop value. As a result, a diaphragm function in which effective aperture is made less than 1 mm can be achieved with a high degree of accuracy.

Abstract: The gain of an envelope detector circuit for detecting the envelope of a signal read from a magnetic head is capable of being changed over between two, namely high and low, stages. The gain of the envelope detector circuit is raised when track search processing is performed. When peak position detection processing is executed for detecting the peak position of the envelope of a recorded signal with regard to a designated track, first the gain of the envelope detector circuit is raised. The gain is lowered when the envelope saturates. This makes it comparatively easy to perform envelope detection, shortens the time required and makes it possible to use even a relatively low-precision A/D converter in the envelope detector circuit.

Abstract: A filter is provided which can pass therethrough only a signal component having a frequency corresponding to a secondary higher harmonic frequency component (200-240 Hz) of the fluorescent light of the output signal from a light-receiving element for receiving incident light thereto from the photograph area. Based on the signal which is passed through the filter, it is detected whether the photography area is illuminated with the fluorescent light. Since the color temperatures of sunlight (outdoors in fine weather) and fluorescent light show substantially the same value, it is difficult to distinguish two kinds of above light sources. A ripple period of the fluorescent light and the like is measured, and the output signal of a light detecting device (e.g., a color temperature sensor, photometry element, and so forth) is sampled at a plurality of times in a length of time equivalent to one period of the measured ripple period.

Abstract: In a system including a still video camera and a playback device capable of being connected thereto, the playback device stored track information (such as data representing the field/frame recording and the envelope peak position) detected in a playback operation in a memory thereof corresponding to a track number. When the power of the playback device or the like is turned off, the track information is transferred from the playback device to the camera side and is stored in a memory of the camera side. When the playback device achieves thereafter a playback operation, the track information is again transferred to the playback device so as to be used for the playback operation. The track information can also be used in an erase operation on the camera side or in the playback device. In addition, track information used in a recording operation of the camera is stored in a memory thereof corresponding to a track member.

Abstract: In a still-video camera, a video signal representing the image of a photographed subject is written in a video floppy during one revolution of the floppy, namely during an interval between one phase pulse PG and the next. Immediately after the phase pulse PG is generated, a field-shift pulse FS for reading the video signal out of an electronic image pick-up device is outputted. Read-out from the electronic image pick-up device by the field-shift pulse FS is inhibited during the time that a shutter is open. Writing is carried out from the moment of the next phase pulse PG after read-inhibit is cancelled. If the inhibition on read-out from the electronic image pick-up device were to be cancelled between the phase pulse PG and the field-shift pulse FS, read-out of the video signal by the field-shift pulse FS would be carried out, but it would not be possible to carry out recording without waiting for the next phase pulse PG.