Abstract: Image data photographed by a video camera 20 are compressed by a compression and decompression circuit 5, the compressed image data are recorded in an incorporated type semiconductor memory 6 or disk-type memory 13 fixed in the video camera 20 and the recorded image data are transferred to an external recording device 23. Further, the external recording device 23 records the transferred image data in a data storage while they are being compressed. The video camera 20 receives, decompresses and converts into a television signal the compressed image data read by the external recording device 23 in reproducing them. A video camera system capable of recording and reproducing long hours of image data by using a video camera having an ultra small size comparable to that of an 8 mm video cassette can be realized by using such a construction.

Abstract: A still picture recording digital camera including a light quantity limiter for interrupting incident light to the camera; an image pickup unit including a pixel for converting the incident light to an electric pixel signal and outputting the pixel signal as a digital image signal; a signal processor for generating a digital image signal having a predetermined format; a recording unit for recording the digital image signal output from the image pickup unit or the signal processor; the light quantity limiter limiting the incident light quantity to a predetermined quantity and then interrupting the incident light; the image pickup unit outputting a dynamic picture digital image signal when the light quantity limiter is limiting the incident light quantity, and outputting a still picture image signal after the light quantity limiter has interrupted the incident light; and the signal processor performing different signal processing operations when the signal processor has received a digital image signal for a dyn

Abstract: A picture communication apparatus includes an extracting circuit for extracting video data of at least one portion from video data inputted thereto, an encoder for respectively encoding the extracted video data and the remaining video data, and a multiplexer for multiplexing the encoded video data. When encoding the video data, predetermined amount of codes are allocated to the respective video data. This suppresses deterioration in the picture quality when conducting an image communication via a transmission path having a low transmission rate. The transmitted video is displayed on a contoured display.

Abstract: Image data photographed by a video camera 20 is compressed by a compression and decompression circuit 5, the compressed image data is recorded in an incorporated type semiconductor memory 6 or disk-type memory 13 fixed in the video camera 20 and the recorded image data is transferred to an external recording device 23. Further, the external recording device 23 records the transferred image data in a data storage while it is being compressed. The video camera 20 receives, decompresses and converts into a television signal the compressed image data read by the external recording device 23 in a reproducing operation. A video camera system capable of recording and reproducing long hours of image data by using a video camera having an ultra small size comparable to that of an 8 mm video cassette can be realized by using such a construction.

Abstract: An image signal provided by an image pickup device, such as a CCD, is converted into a video signal by a signal processor. An extraction means extracts a candidate object region from the current video signal and an object region determined a certain time before by a decision means is read from a memory. For example, the decision means compares an overlapping region in which the candidate object region and the object region read from the memory overlap each other and provides a new object region a size larger than the overlapping region and replace the object region with the new object region to update the contents of the memory. On the other hand, a calculating means calculates the features of the object region including the position of the centroid of the object region on a screen.

Abstract: A computer system replaces an input device, such as a mouse, with a video camera having an image recognizing function and an image extracting function to detect motions of the operator's body directly, and controls a computer apparatus to move a cursor and check on an icon on the basis of the output signals of the video camera. The computer system controls the computer apparatus also on the basis of a signal provided by the video camera upon the detection of light emitted by a particular object. The computer system is capable of making the computer apparatus understand an operator's intention without using any conventional input device, such as a mouse, and of facilitating an operator's input operation.

Abstract: An image pickup device including an image pickup unit for converting an optical image of a subject to an image signal, a signal processor for producing a video signal from the image signal, an ambience determining unit for determining image pickup ambience of the subject, and a control unit for controlling image quality of the video signal output from said signal processor in accordance with a result of the determination of the ambience determining unit. The image quality control unit includes at least one of a white balance control unit, an exposure control unit, and a configuration correction/chroma signal gain control unit. The control characteristic of the image quality control unit is changed depending on the result of the determination of the ambience determining unit.

Abstract: Safety of the distance between vehicles is judged by monitoring whether or not an object other than a front road surface, namely, a preceding vehicle, exists in a predetermined area of the front road surface which is recognized by a picture processing unit used as a sensor for recognizing traffic states of the front road, without recognizing an image of a preceding vehicle having a complicated shape and a plurality of colors of the preceding vehicle by means of picture processing.

Abstract: A video camera including an imager and an analog-to-digital (A/D) convertor for converting video signals read out from the imager to digital image data, for applying the digital image data to an image input device for converting the digital image data to a data format used in an external information processing unit, through a signal line. The video camera further includes an input portion for inputting control data inputted thereto from the image input device through the signal line and producing an output, a control circuit for controlling operation states of the video camera in accordance with the control data from the input portion and a mode switching circuit.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus which includes a timing pulse generator, an imager having an effective pixel number requiring a predetermined frequency for the horizontal scanning pulse in order to to produce a video signal having a normal aspect ratio and a video signal processing circuit for processing the signal outputted from the imager to generating a video signal. An electronic zoom signal processing circuit is provided for enlarging the video signal generated by the video signal processing circuit in the horizontal direction. The timing pulse generator supplies the imager with a horizontal pulse having a frequency higher than the predetermined frequency required by the effective pixel number of the image input element and the electronic zoom signal processing circuit enlarges the video signal generated in the horizontal direction to produce a video signal having a normal aspect ratio.

Abstract: A still picture recording digital camera including a light quantity limiter for interrupting incident light to the camera; an image pickup unit including a pixel for converting the incident light to an electric pixel signal and outputting the pixel signal as a digital image signal; a signal processor for generating a digital image signal having a predetermined format; a recording unit for recording the digital image signal output from the image pickup unit or the signal processor; the light quantity limiter limiting the incident light quantity to a predetermined quantity and then interrupting the incident light; the image pickup unit outputting a dynamic picture digital image signal when the light quantity limiter is limiting the incident light quantity, and outputting a still picture image signal after the light quantity limiter has interrupted the incident light; and the signal processor performing different signal processing operations when the signal processor has received a digital image signal for a dyn

Abstract: The present invention relates to a video camera apparatus which can automatically correct an image vibration, such as a handling or the like electronically. A control circuit changes an interpolation coefficient .alpha. of an interpolation processing circuit in response to a detected output from a vibration detecting apparatus or an output from a motion vector calculating apparatus that detects a vibration of a video signal. Also, the control circuit controls a scanning pulse generating circuit that derives a scanning pulse for scanning the imager. The scanning pulse generating circuit changes a combination of two scanning lines that are to be interpolated by the interpolation processing circuit using the interpolation coefficient .alpha. by changing the scanning state of the imager when 0.ltoreq..alpha.<X or (1-X)<.alpha..ltoreq.1 and X.ltoreq..alpha..ltoreq.(1-X) if X is a limited value of the interpolation coefficient .alpha. and the limited value X is a value smaller than 1/2.

Abstract: In a method of driving a solid-state image sensor having an effective pixel area formed of a plurality of pixels in an array having M pixels in the vertical direction and N pixels in the horizontal direction, a scanning pixel area formed of m pixels in the vertical direction and n pixels in the horizontal direction (where M>m, N.gtoreq.n) is established within the effective pixel area, and charges stored in the pixels in the scanning pixel area are transferred by vertical CCDs driven by a first scanning pulse to a horizontal CCD and the charges transferred to the horizontal CCD are transferred by the horizontal CCD driven by a second scanning pulse to an output portion of the horizontal CCD.

Abstract: An electronic zoom system comprises a memory, a zoom operation processing circuit having a read/write control circuit for controlling the reading and writing of signals to and from said memory, respectively, and an operation control circuit for controlling said zoom operation processing circuit based upon a result of successive additions of .beta.-.alpha., whereby a video signal is input to said zoom operation processing circuit for electronically magnifying and expanding said video signal by a magnification factor of .beta./.alpha.. The electronic zoom system can reduce the power consumption of the control circuit and enhance the utilization efficiency of control data used for the control circuit.

Abstract: A video camera and apparatus for extracting an object from a video signal. The video camera and the extracting apparatus include units for setting a plurality of different parameters for distinguishing a plurality of areas in an input video signal according to the plurality of different set parameters, a unit for determining an extracting area in accordance with the plurality of areas distinguished by the setting units, and an extracting unit for generating extracting information for the extracting area for the video signal. The video camera includes a unit for controlling an operation of the video camera in accordance with the extracted information.

Abstract: In a method of driving a solid-state image sensor having an effective pixel area formed of a plurality of pixels in an array having M pixels in the vertical direction and N pixels in the horizontal direction, a scanning pixel area formed of m pixels in the vertical direction and n pixels in the horizontal direction (where M>m, N.gtoreq.n) is established within the effective pixel area, and charges stored in the pixels in the scanning pixel area are transferred by vertical CCDs driven by a first scanning pulse to a horizontal CCD and the charges transferred to the horizontal CCD are transferred by the horizontal CCD driven by a second scanning pulse to an output portion of the horizontal CCD.

Abstract: A video camera for enabling improvement in automatic functions such as automatic white balancing and automatic focusing while controlling picture quality of a video image including a specific object of the video image and/or background thereof. The video camera includes an image pickup device and a signal processing circuit responsive thereto for processing the image picked up by the image pickup device and providing a video signal as an output. An extraction unit is provided for extracting a signal representative of a specific portion of the video signal of the signal processing circuit, and a control unit responsive to the signal extracted by the extraction unit effects control of at least one of the signal processing circuit and at least one input control parameter of the video camera in accordance therewith, thereby providing improvement in the picture quality.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus which includes a timing pulse generator, an imager having an effective pixel number requiring a predetermined frequency for the horizontal scanning pulse in order to to produce a video signal having a normal aspect ratio and a video signal processing circuit for processing the signal outputted from the imager to generating a video signal. An electronic zoom signal processing circuit is provided for enlarging the video signal generated by the video signal processing circuit in the horizontal direction. The timing pulse generator supplies the imager with a horizontal pulse having a frequency higher than the predetermined frequency required by the effective pixel number of the image input element and the electronic zoom signal processing circuit enlarges the video signal generated in the horizontal direction to produce a video signal having a normal aspect ratio.

Abstract: An auto-iris method for an imaging device includes the steps of obtaining a first signal indicating brightness of an object from a signal output from an imaging element; comparing a level of the first signal with a level of a reference signal; and enhancing a level of the reference signal more as the object becomes brighter and controlling an iris to path more quantity of light to the imaging element, based on the compared result.

Abstract: Disclosed are an image pickup apparatus and method and system for controlling the exposure of the image pickup apparatus. The image pickup apparatus includes a circuit for detecting a voltage corresponding to a current value of an iris, a circuit for generating a voltage corresponding to a desired iris value, a circuit for comparing the two voltages, and a circuit for controlling the iris based on the result of the comparison so as to keep the iris value at the desired value, in which the exposure start time of an image pick-up device is changed in an increment/decrement of one horizontal scanning period and/or in an increment/decrement of a period shorter than one horizontal scanning period to thereby make it possible to perform manual-iris mode automatic exposure control.