Abstract: A solid image-pickup device having a scanning mechanism for reading and outputting outputs from photo-detectors. The scanning mechanism includes at least one charge transferring unit in which a plurality of MOS gates are arranged side by side. A MOS gate control unit applies signals to the plurality of MOS gates so as to form potential wells below all the gates of the charge transferring unit at a first period, to inject a signal charge from a photo-detector in the potential well across a transfer gate beneath the MOS gates at a second period, and causes the potential wells to successively be removed in the direction of the charge transfer. As a result, the signal charges below the MOS gates of the charge transferring unit are moved during a third period.

Abstract: This specification discloses a CCD imager which includes a line addressing circuit (24) which selectively addresses CCD imaging gates (48). Output signals are clocked under the gates (48) to a buffer register (30) which is constructed in the form of a tree. Signals from under each of the CCD gates (48) travel an identical length path through the buffer register (30) to a charge detection circuit (46) measured by the number of pixels involved. The output signals thus take the same time, or same number of clock pulses, to travel the length of the buffer register (30) to enable all line switching to be accomplished during the horizontal blanking time of a television thus eliminating the switching noise from the television screen.

Abstract: Disclosed is a two-dimensionally arrayed solid-state imaging device for a television camera having a photodiode array arranged at a photo-sensing section and a readout horizontal register constructed by a charge transfer device (CTD) such as a BCD, CCD or BBD. An inverter circuit is provided for each of the vertical signal lines. An input of the inverter circuit is connected to a vertical signal line drain of at least one transfer transistor arranged between the vertical signal line and the CTD, and an output of the inverter circuit is connected to a gate of the transfer transistor. Transfer efficiency is improved by the insertion of the inverter circuit and fixed pattern noise is substantially reduced by supplying bias currents.

Abstract: A one-dimensional semiconductor imaging device in which each pixel in a linear array of devices is composed of but one transistor. The single transistor is an SIT (Static Induction Transistor) including a pair of principal electrode regions of one conduction type formed facing one another through a highly resistive channel region, and first and second gate regions of the other conduction type formed in contact with the channel region to control the current flowing between the two principal electrode regions. A transparent electrode is formed on at least one part of the first gate electrode through a capacitor. One of the two principal electrode regions, which are both common to all pixels, is connected to a video signal output terminal through a switch. The first gate region of each SIT is connected to a dedicated output through a capacitor.

Abstract: A cascade connection of first and second CCD shift registers having clocking signals with equal cycle durations, but with m phases and n phases respectively, where m is a larger positive integer than n.

Abstract: A sensing device for generating an output signal corresponding to an input signal which comprises a substrate, an array of sensor elements for receiving the input signal and transfer members located on the surface of the substrate and interposed between the sensor elements. The sensor elements have their barycenters distributed on the surface of the substrate in a random non-periodic pattern. The transfer members are coupled to the sensor elements and generate the output signal.The sensing device is incorporated in an apparatus which generates an output signal from an input image wherein the output signal is substantially free of detectable aliases. The apparatus includes an image pick-up device for viewing the input image and transmitting radiation to the image sensing device, an analog-to-digital converter for converting the analog signal from a sensing device to a digital signal, a position encoder, an interpolator and a memory means for storing the output of the interpolator.

Abstract: A solid state image sensing device having an array of pixels each including a static induction transistor and a capacitance connected to a gate thereof, a signal readout line connected to sources of the static induction transistors, a first scanning circuit for reading image signals out of the pixels successively in a destructive manner, a second scanning circuit for reading photometry signals out of preselected pixels in a non-destructive manner, an integrating circuit for integrating the photometry signals, a comparison circuit for comparing an integrated value with a predetermined value to produce a detection signal when the integrated value becomes equal to the predetermined value and a control circuit for controlling the first and second scanning circuits in accordance with the detection signal. When the detection signal is produced, the second scanning circuit is stopped and at the same time the first scanning circuit is initiated to readout all the pixels in a destructive manner.

Abstract: An electronic viewfinder for an electronic imaging still camera may be selectively operated in either an electronic viewfinder mode in which electronic image data sensed by the photoresponsive sensing elements of the camera is transmitted to provide a video display of the scene within the field of view of the camera or, alternatively, an optic viewfinder mode in which the image defining scene light rays are optically transmitted for direct viewing of the scene within the field of view of the camera by the camera operator. The optic viewfinder mode of operation is automatically initiated during the time in which the image defining data is transmitted from the image sensing elements to the image data storing elements and the viewfinder is inoperative to provide its video display.

Abstract: A rotary shutter device for use in an electronic still camera or a VTR camera has an XY-addressable solid-state imaging device for converting an optical image read by successive horizontal scanning into a video signal, a shutter blade disposed in front of the solid-state imaging device and rotatable about its own axis, the shutter blade having at least one opening for transmitting light therethrough onto the photodetector surface of the solid-state imaging device, and an adjusting blade disposed adjacent to the shutter blade for varying the opening angle of the opening. The shutter and adjusting blades are rotatable together in a direction to successively expose the solid-state imaging device to incident light in the direction in which the solid-state imaging device is vertically scanned. The scanning of the solid-state imaging device for one field is completed between two successive exposures thereof through the opening in the shutter blade.

Abstract: A two-dimensional solid-state image sensor device, comprising: a plurality of picture cells which are two-dimensionally arranged in column and row directions, and each of which comprises a static induction transistor having drain and source regions with one conductivity type which are disposed on opposite sides of a high resistance semiconductor channel region, and control and shielding gate regions with the other conductivity type which are adjacent to the channel region to control a current flowing between the drain and source regions, and a transparent electrode disposed via a capacitance on at least a portion of the control gate region, in a manner that light is incident through the transparent electrode to the control gate region in which the charge produced by the light excitation is stored to control the current; a plurality of selection lines, each of which connects the control gate regions in each column in common via the capacitances; and a plurality of signal readout lines, each of which connects t

Abstract: Light biasing of a vidicon target is optimized to effect a consistent rate of response to instantaneous changes in the intensity of light from an object to be imaged. The optimum bias lighting level is determined by adjusting the bias lighting to a predetermined level and producing a first and second series of video frame signals representing a gray scale image focused onto the target. The difference in magnitude between a selected frame signal in the first series and one in the second series is determined and recorded. This difference determining procedure is repeated for a succession of bias lighting levels, and the bias lighting for the target is then set at the level which effected production of the smallest difference determined.

Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus for a video camera, comprising a photographic lens, a solid state image pickup device mounted movably along the optical axis of the photographic lens, a device for moving the image pickup device along the optical axis, and a focusing operation circuit for generating a focusing signal for moving the image pickup device to the focusing point by processing the output of the image pickup device, and feeding the focusing signal to the moving means. The moving device consists of a moving coil secured to the image pickup device, and a drive circuit for driving the moving coil. The focusing operation circuit is connected to the drive circuit directly or via an automatic-manual selecting switch. The image pickup device may be split to a section for taking a picture and a section for measuring the distance from the object, and the photographic lens may be a zoom lens having no mechanism for focusing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a remote control apparatus provided with a plurality of universal heads supporting cameras thereon and effecting panning and tilting of the cameras, a console for producing an electrical signal regarding an object to which the cameras are to be turned, an electrical memory device for storing information for determining the angle of panning and the angle of tilting, and a control device for controlling the universal heads by the stored information and the electrical signal. The apparatus turns the cameras to the moving object according to the signals from the console and the respective memory devices of each camera.

Abstract: There is disclosed a solid-state area imaging apparatus suitable for photographing a still picture. The apparatus comprises a plurality of vertical transfer electrodes and a pair of horizontal read CCDs, and the vertical transfer electrodes are vertically continuously arranged such that each electrode alternately crosses vertically adjoining two of a plurality of imaginary horizontal scanning lines thereby providing a plurality of photosensitive elements distributed in a checkered pattern on the imaging surface of the apparatus. This distribution of the photosensitive elements has the effect of applying the video signal to all the horizontal scanning lines. Thus, by using the existing integrated circuit technique, it is possible to realize a solid-state area imaging apparatus whose vertical resolution of reproduced still pictures is two times the vertical resolution obtained previously.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic diaphragm control device for use with a CCTV camera in which a video signal applied from the CCTV camera is utilized for diaphragm control, and provides an automatic diaphragm control device for use with the CCTV camera, comprising first means for continuous control of the video signal with respect to an absolute brightness of an object to be picked up, second means for continuous control of a proportion of the video signal corresponding to a bright portion in the whole picture when a ratio of the bright portion to a dark portion of this object is relatively high, and third means for stabilization of a control signal, which has been obtained by said first and second means and then rectified, with respect to a source voltage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic diaphragm control device for use with a CCTV camera which has recently found many applications.The present invention provides an automatic diaphragm control device for use with a CCTV camera adapted to provide an automatically diaphragm controllable lens system having a light measuring mode which can be continuously varied at will adjacently to or remotely from the camera objective depending on the condition of an object to be picked up and permitting a changeover to be easily achieved between an automatic diaphragm control mode and a remote diaphragm control mode, if desired, to meet needs of the CCTV system.

Abstract: A solid state television camera having a solid state image sensing device including a plurality of individual light sensing units arranged in both horizontal and vertical rows and for sequentially generating a signal corresponding to an image by transferring a charge generated by the light sensing units is disclosed, which includes a synchronizing signal generator for generating horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals, a clock pulse generator for generating a clock pulse corresponding to the horizontal synchronizing signal and controlling the sequential transfer of the charge representing one horizontal line of the image, the number of the clock pulses being equal to the sum of the number of the horizontal rows and a predetermined number, a detecting circuit for detecting the signal during the period of the predetermined number of the clock pulse, the period being after the signal corresponding to the image is obtained and a part of a vertical blanking period, a compensating signal generator supplied wi

Abstract: A solid state image sensor comprises an image sensing matrix comprised of a number of photoelectric elements arranged in a matrix array and a scanning circuit for two-dimensionally scanning the image sensing matrix by scanning signals to extract image signals. Picture element selection circuits are connected to horizontal and vertical lines of the image sensing matrix to pick up the output signals of photoelectric elements as photometric signals.

Abstract: A solid state image sensing device having a number of static induction transistors (SIT) arranged in a matrix form, sources of SITs arranged in each column being commonly connected to respective column line which is connected to a video line via respective column selection transistor whose gate is connected to a horizontal scanning circuit, gates of SITs arranged in each row being connected to respective row line connected to a vertical scanning circuit, and drains of all the SITs being commonly connected to the ground. The vertical scanning circuit produces a row selection signal which has such a potential that an SIT is readout, while its gate is biased reversely.

Abstract: A solid state image pick-up device comprises a matrix of first and second photo-sensitive elements, vertical shift registers disposed parallel to each other to shift charges from the first and second elements, respective transfer gates between each first and second element and the adjacent vertical shift register, and a horizontal shift register connected to one end of each of the vertical shift registers.