Abstract: Images sensed through object lenses 100R and 100L, having zoom lenses, with image sensors 102R and 102L are processed by image signal processors 104R and 104L, and an image of an object in each of the sensed images is separated from a background image on the basis of the processed image signals. The separated image signals representing the image of the object enter the image processor 220, where a three-dimensional shape of the object is extracted on the basis of parameters used upon sensing the images. The parameters are automatically adjusted so that images of the object fall within the both image sensing areas of the image sensors 102R and 102L and that they fall within the both focal depths of the image sensors 102R and 102L.

Abstract: In a video system of the invention, a controller is provided for a terminal input apparatus which is connected by a communication network to a camera on the partner side and which has an image display apparatus with a multi-window display function for selecting and displaying the camera setting. An image pickup operation which is required to operate the camera on the partner side, for example, the image pickup direction, focal distance, panning, exposure amount, white balance, automatic focusing, and the like of the designated camera are input by using an image display and a window display of the image display apparatus. The operation of the camera on the partner side and the operations of a tripod, a movable arm, and the like to hold the camera are controlled through a communicating device. A photographed image is displayed by the display apparatus.

Abstract: An image shake detecting device for detecting a shake of an image on an image sensing plane on the basis of a video signal output from an image sensor includes detection circuits arranged to detect image displacement in a plurality of areas set on the image sensing plane, and a control microcomputer which makes a discrimination, on the basis of information output from these detection circuits, between a movement of a camera and a solo movement of a photographed object. The device thus accurately makes compensation for an image shake by judging the state of the image on the basis of information output from these detection circuits. The image shake detecting device further includes a computing circuit arranged to compute a quantity of an image shake on the basis of a difference in detecting timing of a feature point of the image and a sensitivity control circuit arranged to change the detection sensitivity of the shake detection circuits.

Abstract: In a video system of the invention, control means is provided for a terminal input apparatus which is connected by a communication network of a camera on the partner side and which comprises an image display apparatus having a multiwindow display function for selecting and displaying the camera. An image pickup operation which is required to the camera on the partner side, for example, the image pickup direction, focal distance, panning, exposure amount, white balance, automatic focusing, and the like of the designated camera are inputted by using an image display and a window display of the image display apparatus. The operation of the camera on the partner side and the operations of a tripod, a movable arm, and the like to hold the camera are controlled through communicating means. A photographed image is displayed by the display apparatus.

Abstract: A control system having device units removably attachable to a control device such as a computer is arranged to optimize the allocation and distribution of electric power to the device units and also displays of varied kinds. For this purpose, each device unit of the system includes a communication circuit arranged to transmit information of electric power consumption and an operating state of the device unit detachably connected to the control device such as a computer, a stopping circuit for partly stopping a function of the device unit according to a control signal sent in reply from the control device on the basis of information of varied kinds transmitted through the transmission circuit to the control device.

Abstract: A display apparatus comprises a displaying device for displaying video information for an observer, a detecting device for detecting a motion of at least a part of the body of the observer, and a controlling device for making the displaying device display a display element for input of an operation instruction, and starting a process corresponding to the display element when the detecting device detects a specified motion in correspondence to the display element.

Abstract: Image pickup control apparatus and method displays, on a screen, an image picked up a camera and transmitted through a communications system. A plurality of control devices may control the camera through the communications system. When one of the control devices is in control of the camera through the communications system, the other control devices are inhibited from controlling the camera.

Abstract: In a processor system having a CPU, a RAM, and a communication portion for external communication, the operation of the central processing unit is stopped when an IPL operation mode is selected by an operation mode selection switch. An IPL program transferred from the outside through the communication portion is then written to the RAM starting from a predetermined address, and the stoppage of the operation of the CPU is thereafter canceled. The CPU restarting the operation executes the IPL program written to the RAM by first reading the predetermined address to download a system program. Since the IPL program is transferred from the outside, the IPL program to be used can be easily changed.

Abstract: A three-dimensional information processing apparatus for obtaining three-dimensional information from an object having a three-dimensional shape, and performing predetermined information processing, comprises: a camera for sensing images of the object from a plurality of coordinate positions using an image sensing system having one or a plurality of optical systems. A plurality of depth information are extracted from image sensing related information sensed by the camera at the plurality of coordinate positions, and the plurality of extracted depth information are converted and unified into depth information expressed by a unified coordinate system.

Abstract: An image shake detecting device for detecting a shake of an image on an image sensing plane on the basis of a video signal output from an image sensor includes detection circuits arranged to detect image displacement in a plurality of areas set on the image sensing plane, and a control microcomputer which makes a discrimination, on the basis of information output from these detection circuits, between a movement of a camera and a solo movement of a photographed object. The device thus accurately makes compensation for an image shake by judging the state of the image on the basis of information output from these detection circuits. The image shake detecting device further includes a computing circuit arranged to compute a quantity of an image shake on the basis of a difference in detecting timing of a feature point of the image and a sensitivity control circuit arranged to change the detection sensitivity of the shake detection circuits.

Abstract: An image recording and reproducing apparatus includes a recording processing unit for receiving video signals in at least two different modes, and for recording the received video signals together with mode signals indicating the mode of the video signals. A signal reading unit reads a video signal and the corresponding mode signal recorded by the recording processing unit, and a detecting unit detects the mode of the video signal from the mode signal read by the signal reading unit. A generation unit generates a signal based on the video signal in accordance with the detected mode of the video signal such that the generated signal has a format that corresponds to the mode of the video signal.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprising a signal conversion circuit for changing input/output characteristics in accordance with a shift position of an image is arranged between a detection circuit for detecting a relative movement between a camera and an object to be photographed and an image shift circuit for shifting the image in accordance with a detection result of the detection circuit.

Abstract: A shakeproof camera includes a focus detection circuit for detecting a focus state from an image pickup signal output from an image pickup element, a luminance detection circuit for detecting a luminance from the image pickup signal, a shake detection circuit for detecting a shake vector of an image from the image pickup signal, and a control circuit for fetching outputs from the above detection circuits and performing focus control, exposure control, and shakeproof control. The detection circuits outputs the detection results during a vertical blanking period. The control circuit preferentially performs an arithmetic operation for shakeproof control on the basis of an output from the shake detection circuit and then performs other control operations.

Abstract: An image processing system comprises an image shifting circuit for shifting an image by processing an input video signal, a scene-change detecting circuit for detecting the presence or absence of a scene change in the input video signal, and a control circuit for controlling the amount in which the image is shifted by the image shifting circuit, according to the presence or absence of the scene change detected by the scene-change detecting circuit.

Abstract: An image shake detecting device for detecting a shake of an image on an image sensing plane on the basis of a video signal output from an image sensor includes detection circuits arranged to detect image displacement in a plurality of areas set on the image sensing plane, and a control microcomputer which makes a discrimination, on the basis of information output from these detection circuits, between a movement of a camera and a solo movement of a photographed object. The device thus accurately makes compensation for an image shake by judging the state of the image on the basis of information output from these detection circuits. The image shake detecting device further includes a computing circuit arranged to compute a quantity of an image shake on the basis of a difference in detecting timing of a feature point of the image and a sensitivity control circuit arranged to change the detection sensitivity of the shake detection circuits.

Abstract: In an image pickup system, an image pickup unit is connected to a computer which has a display device. In order to make a display by matching the characteristic of the image pickup unit with that of the display device, the image pickup unit is provided with a control part which is arranged to measure a signal processing speed of the computer, to compare the signal processing speed with an image pickup speed or a picked-up image data output speed of the image pickup unit and to vary an image pickup action or a picked-up image data output action of the image pickup unit according to a result of the comparison or according to an operation performed by an operator of the image pickup system.

Abstract: In an image sensing an processing device, a movement vector of an image is detected in each of detection blocks formed by dividing an image sensing plane, and a distributed state of the image movement within the image sensing plane is detected by statistically processing the movement vector detected in each of the detection blocks. On the basis of the distributed state of the image movement, an area having an image of a main photographed object is detected so as to set a focus detecting area on the image sensing plane or to control a focusing circuit.

Abstract: A compound eye image pickup apparatus with reduced parallax having two optical image pickup systems wherein the cross points between entrance pupils and optical axes of the two optical image pickup systems are generally coincident.

Abstract: For providing a compact, light, and cheap image pickup apparatus capable of attaining both a stereoscopic image and a high-definition plane image by itself, a changeover optical unit is provided with both a function to attain a stereoscopic image by guiding beams captured through objective lenses to respective CCDs and a function to attain a plane image by splitting the beam captured through the objective lens into two beams and guiding the two beams to the CCDs whereby the stereoscopic image and the high-definition plane image can be attained by proper changeover between these functions.

Abstract: To realize a multi-eye image pickup apparatus which can perform proper exposure for each of a plurality of image pickup devices, the multi-eye image pickup apparatus having a plurality of image pickup devices is arranged to have an exposure amount controlling device provided for each of the image pickup devices, for controlling an exposure amount, and a control unit for determining an exposure amount of each exposure amount controlling device, based on photometric values of pickup images obtained by the plurality of image pickup devices or based on photometric values of split images obtained by splitting each of the pickup images into a plurality of zones.