Abstract: Using a common area sensor to build a high resolution electronic camera requires a large sensor chip with an incumbent high cost. Using a line sensor results in slow imaging and therefore limited applications. An electronic camera using a small sensor chip with high speed imaging is therefore provided. A two-dimensional imaging device that is narrower than an area sensor subscans the imaging plane of the lens system by means of a scanning device. The charge transfer register of the two-dimensional imaging device is driven by an X clock generator in the opposite direction and at the same speed as the subscanning speed, thereby achieving TDI operation and high speed image capturing.

Abstract: In a frame-by-frame color image pickup apparatus, images of light components transmitted through red, green, and blue filters of a rotating filter are introduced to an image pickup device arranged in an optical path with rotating filter. The cells in the image pickup device are grouped into cell blocks, each block made up of four cells arranged in one horizontal row and four vertical columns. The rotational speed of the rotating filter is increased, and the cells within each block selected by switches for reading are fixed when an image is dynamic, a quarter of all the cells are read at one cycle of revolution of the rotating filter, and the remaining cells are interpolated to form one frame image. Color breakup is thus precluded. When an image is still, the cells selected are switched at each cycle of revolution of the rotating filter, and all the cells are read over four cycles of revolution of the rotating filter. Thus, a high resolution color image is obtained.

Abstract: A video camera includes a CCD imager, and an image corresponding to a camera signal outputted from all of charge areas of the CCD imager is outputted on a monitor in a normal mode. In a quadruplication mode, four (4) images corresponding to camera signals repeatedly outputted from one of quarter areas of the charge area are outputted on the monitor. A high-frequency luminance component value generation circuit generates a high-frequency luminance component value on the basis of a luminance signal to be outputted at a center of the monitor in the normal mode, and a high-frequency luminance component value on the basis of a luminance signal to be outputted at a center of one of quarter areas of the monitor in the quadruplication mode. A microcomputer controls a focus motor on the basis of the high-frequency luminance component values obtained in such manners so as to adjust a focus.

Abstract: An image pick-up apparatus and imaging system wherein a position sensor 3 detects position of a moving object 2 transferred along a transfer path 1 to deliver a trigger signal TRIG-IN to a control unit 20 and an image taking-in unit 30. At the image taking-in unit 30, external synchronizing signals EXT-HD, EXT-VD are delivered from a synchronizing signal generating section 31 to a synchronizing signal generating section 21 of the control unit 20. In addition, write enable signal WE corresponding to the trigger signal TRIG-IN is delivered, from a write enable signal preparation section 33, to a memory 32 and to a modulated HD signal generating section 22 of the control unit 20. The control unit 20 generates a modulated horizontal synchronizing signal TG-HD in accordance with the trigger signal TRIG-IN by the modulated HD signal generating section 22 to deliver it to a CCD camera 10, and to control output timing of a video signal VIDEO from the CCD camera 10 on the basis of the write enable signal WE.

Abstract: An automatic telerecording apparatus is comprised of a television antenna which receives a television signal, and a key view-designating block which designates as a key view a view appearing in an identical or similar pattern every time a television program desired to be recorded is broadcast, out of moving picture information based on the television signal received by the antenna. The designated key view is stored in a key view memory, and the moving picture information based on the received television signal is monitored, to detect the key view appearing in the moving picture information. When the key view is detected, the moving picture information is stored over a preset time period.

Abstract: In the solid-state imaging apparatus of the present invention, when a signal is output from the capacity element to the data signal output circuit, the voltage of the output terminal of the capacity element is kept at that attained when the switch was previously opened, namely, the initial voltage of the input terminal of the data signal output circuit, whereby the voltage of the input terminal of the data signal output circuit is stable without fluctuation. Therefore, no noise is generated in the output signal at the instant when the capacity element and data signal output circuit are short-circuited, whereby optical images can be captured with a high accuracy in a high speed.

Abstract: The noise in the photo information extracted from an active pixel sensor cell is reduced by resetting the voltage on the photodiode of the cell to the power supply voltage, and by reading the cell immediately before and after the cell is reset. The voltage on the photodiode is reset to the power supply voltage by applying a reset voltage to the gate of the reset transistor conventionally used to reset the photodiode where the reset voltage is sufficiently larger than the power supply voltage to cause the voltage on the photodiode to be pulled up to the power supply voltage.

Abstract: A video recording/reproducing apparatus capable of discriminating commercial message portions even when a broadcasting mode is the same. A magnetic head records television broadcasting signals to a magnetic tape and reproduces the television broadcasting signals from this magnetic tape. When the television broadcasting signals are reduced by recording/reproducing apparatus, an audio-free portion detector detects audio-free portions from audio signals in the television broadcasting signals. Commercial message (CM) portion detector detects the commercial message portions in the television broadcasting signals by the time intervals among a plurality of audio-free portions detected by the audio-free portion detector, and a CM information memory circuit stores the information of the recording positions of the commercial message portions detected by this commercial message portion detector to the magnetic tape.

Abstract: A video correction apparatus for a camcorder comprising a filter for removing a noise component from digital input video data, a mask processor for calculating a difference between a pixel value of the resultant video data from the filter and each of adjacent vertical and horizontal pixel values, taking absolute values of the calculated differences and adding the taken absolute values, to detect edge data for selection of an accurate characteristic point of the video data from the filter, a representative point determination circuit for selecting a maximum value in each motion vector detection region every field in response to the edge data from the mask processor and determining positions of the selected maximum values as representative point data, and a correlation calculator for inputting the edge data from the mask processor and the representative point data from the representative point determination circuit and calculating a correlation of the inputted data in a search region of a desired range.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for timelapse capture in an image capture unit. A system and method for timelapse capture according to the present invention comprises capturing a first image automatically; initiating a sleep mode after capturing the first image; and transitioning from the sleep mode into a wake mode prior to capturing a second image. According to the present invention, a system and method is provided which provides a digital camera with the ability to automatically place the digital camera in a sleep mode during the interval when the camera is inactive. The sleep mode minimizes power consumption during inactive periods of a timelapse capture sequence, thus allowing automation of timelapse sequences. The sleep mode can be initiated if a predetermined time interval is greater than a setup time required prior to initiating the next image capture.

Abstract: A small-sized camera head having a connection device for a flexible printed circuit board to which connection pins of a small-sized round type connector can be soldered easily, and a small-sized multi-pin round connector permits easily performing a soldering operation for the connection pins. The round type connector connects a flexible printed circuit board to the round type connector having an even number of connection pins arranged symmetrically on parallel boundary lines of a band-shaped boundary area of a preset width passing through a center axis of a main body of the connector for dividing a connection surface into two equal portions and to plural connection pins arranged on the circumference of the circle centered about the center axis.

Abstract: A multimedia optical disc which includes a data region for storing a plurality of objects which include video data, audio data and sub-picture data, wherein the data region is composed of a plurality of small regions, wherein each object is stored in consecutive small regions and wherein each small region includes a first subregion for storing video data of a certain reproduction period, a plurality of second subregions which each store audio data, wherein audio data stored in different second subregions express different reproduction audio to each other and each set of audio data is data to be reproduced at a same time as the video data in a first subregion, a plurality of third subregions which each store sub-picture data, wherein sub-picture data stored in different third subregions express different images to each other and each set of sub-picture data is data to be reproduced at a same time as the video data in the first subregion and a fourth subregion for storing control information, wherein each set o

Abstract: A reproduction apparatus is designed to select and decode speech and subtitles (characters) in a given language from a disk on which various types of information are recorded in different languages. This system arrangement makes it possible to standardize the manufacture of disks and reproduction apparatuses world wide, resulting in a reduction in production cost. In a disk 100, various types of information are recorded in different languages along with video information. A reproduction apparatus selects information in a given language from the reproduced information using a data string processing section 203, a system control section 204, and an operator section 205, and supplies the selected pieces of information to each of a video processing section 206, a subtitle decoder 211, and an audio processing section 213.

Abstract: Apparatus for stopping the reproduction of the video information from a record medium (e.g., the video CD recorded by the MPEG1 method) is provided. A group index detector detects a group index identifying the picture group including the picture being displayed when an external reproduction stop signal is inputted. A group index memory stores this detected group index. A record position detector detects the record position (e.g., a stop sector address) of the picture being processed when the external reproduction stop signal is inputted as well as output record position information representing the detected record position. A record position memory stores this detected record position information.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image sensor arranged to photoelectrically convert an image light coming from an object, an iris arranged to adjust the quantity of image light incident on the image sensor, a detection circuit for detecting the state of the iris, a correction circuit to correct the output of the detection circuit so as to correct a change of the iris caused by a change in the mode of shooting, and a focus adjusting device. The correction circuit is arranged such that, when an aperture value is caused to change by a change in the shooting mode, the correction circuit offsets the change of the aperture value by correcting aperture value information before the aperture value information is supplied to the focus adjusting device.

Abstract: A picture signal record/playback apparatus and method thereof for a time lapse VCR which makes it possible to operate with enhanced stability and greater accuracy in providing picture signals. The apparatus includes a memory unit for storing therein by a per frame unit a plurality of frame picture signals respectively having an inter-frame input time interval, a memory control unit for consecutively reading the picture signals for the plurality of frames from the memory unit so as not to have a time interval therebetween, and a recording unit for recording on a magnetic tape media the plurality of frame picture signals being consecutively read.

Abstract: In a still video camera or the like which employs a solid-state image sensor, such as a CCD, a first calculation of the amount of correlation in an AF sensor is executed by using a smaller number of pixels and a larger amount of shifting, and second and subsequent calculations of the amount of correlation are executed by using a larger number of pixels and a smaller amount of shifting. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably detect a large-defocus state through the first calculation, whereby it is possible to omit an unnecessary calculation to reduce the required calculation time. The automatic focusing device uses a phase difference detection method in which a focus state is detected by detecting the deviation between two incident images. The device includes two sensor portions for receiving two images which are each a variable in their image forming portions according to a focus state.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device of the present invention includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; a transfer section for transferring charges generated by the photoelectric conversion elements; a floating diode for converting the charges transferred by the transfer section to voltage signals; and an amplification section including a plurality of source follower circuits, each amplifying the voltage signals generated by the floating diode, wherein different power supply voltages are supplied to the respective source follower circuits, and the power supply voltages are reduced as the DC current flowing through each of the respective source follower circuits increases.

Abstract: There is provided a photographing apparatus, in which image information in a range wider than an ordinary range is converted into an electric signal by an image pickup device and stored into an image memory, a blurring is corrected by moving a reading-out area from the image memory in accordance with the blurring, and when the blurring correction is not performed, the image stored in the image memory is reduced to a predetermined size at a reduction ratio according to a zoom ratio by a zoom switch and generated.

Abstract: Missing intensity values for color values for a color component array derived from a color filter array are predicted using the system and method of the present invention. The method uses predictor sets for each missing intensity value to select a best value for each missing intensity value. The predictor sets include a luminance predictor set, a first chrominance predictor set and a second chrominance predictor set. The member predictors of the luminance predictor set are selected in response to a comparison between a variance between neighboring luminance values and a predetermined threshold. The first chrominance set is used to predict chrominance values of a color type at locations where a chrominance value of another color type was originally stored. The second chrominance set is used to predict chrominance values of a color type at locations where a luminance value was originally stored.