Abstract: The communication terminal of one electronic still camera is connected to that of the other electronic still camera by means of a specific cable or infrared rays. The image data item to be transferred is selected from the image data items stored in the flash memory in the electronic still camera on the transmission side and the image data is displayed on the LCD. After determining the image data by pressing the shutter key in the key input section of one electronic still camera functioning as the master, the user specifies transmission or reception. The camera whose shutter has been pressed functions as a master and the other camera functions as a slave. In transmission, all or a given one of the image data items in the flash memory are transmitted to the slave camera. In reception, the image data is transmitted from the slave camera to the master camera. The received image data is stored in the flash memory via a DRAM.

Abstract: There is disclosed a digital camera in which a lens cover formed with a plurality of holes is attached to a lens barrel. Different items of the print conditions are assigned to the individual holes. The camera senses these holes formed on the cover, recognizes the print conditions based on the sensed image, and transmits the recognized condition to a printing apparatus as print condition data.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus and method for controlling an exposure so as to maintain proper brightness for a target or desired object regardless of the background brightness. Such image pickup apparatus may include a level sensing unit having a number of level sensing or detecting devices including a first level sensing device for sensing an imaging output level of a specific luminance level area on an imaged screen and a second level sensing device for sensing an imaging output level of a skin tone area on the imaged screen. The image pickup apparatus may further include a control device for controlling the quantity of light received in an image pickup unit in accordance with the sensed or detected output levels. Additionally, the present color image pickup apparatus may be operable in a plurality of exposure modes in accordance with the imaging condition. As a result, an imaging output may be provided which has relatively high or excellent image quality.

Abstract: The invention provides a data storage/playback device and method. The data storage/playback device includes at least one time-series data pickup device, a time-series data storage, at least one user input detector and a controller. The controller acts to control the storage and playback of time-series data. The controller further includes a correspondence-relationship storing section, a compression section, a condition-matching section and a playback section. The controller determines important intervals of time-series data and intervals of less important time-series data. Based on this determination, the compression section of the controller compresses the important interval time-series data using a different compression process from that of the less important time-series data. Thus, the important interval time-series data is maintained with high quality and storage space is conserved.

Abstract: An imaging system having a CCD sensor varies the intensity of an input image presented to the sensor during an integration period of the sensor to enhance the intra-scene dynamic range of the imaging system. The sensor well depth of the CCD sensor is also varied during the integration period in a manner that complements the intensity variation to achieve the dynamic range improvement. In one approach, the intensity of the input image is progressively decreased during the integration period while the sensor well depth is correspondingly increased. In another approach, an intensifier unit is gated off during the integration period to provide the intensity variation. A closed loop control method is provided for controlling the image intensity and/or the well depth based upon the content of the present image.

Abstract: High-resolution color and monochrome video images are recorded on and reproduced from a record medium. Red, green and blue signal components are recorded as respective monochrome-like signals in separate tracks, and since a chrominance component of the video signal is not recorded in each track, the bandwidth of the recorded video signal may exceed the bandwidth of a video signal that normally is stored on the record medium. The high-resolution color video signal is reproduced by reproducing three frames which contain the red, green and blue signal components, respectively, and by supplying these signal components as a single high-resolution color image. A high-resolution monochrome video signal is stored by sampling the monochrome video signal at a given clock signal to produce a first sampled signal and by sampling the monochrome video signal at an inverse clock signal to produce a second sampled signal which are recorded as separate monochrome frames.

Abstract: A data recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing data to and from a plurality of record mediums that are non-linearly accessible is disclosed, that comprises a recording/reproducing portion for recording and reproducing data to the record mediums, and a controlling portion for controlling the recording/reproducing portion, wherein when the controlling portion detects that data recorded on one of the record mediums is not reproduced, the controlling portion detects a blank time period for which a host system has not accessed the data recording/reproducing apparatus, causes the recording/reproducing portion to reproduce the data from reproducible record mediums in the blank time period and error correction data recorded on another record medium, and re-structures data that is not reproduced with data that is reproduced from the reproducible record mediums and the error correction data.

Abstract: In a system (1) including a reproducing device (2) for reproducing color television signals recorded on a record carrier (7) in adjacent track portions in at least one normal reproducing mode and at least one special reproducing mode, which includes a color-television-signal-processing unit, and having color television receiving device (3) which includes a color signal demodulator (87) for demodulating the color signal (C) of the reproduced color television signals with the aid of switching information (SI) and a switching information generating unit (96) for generating the switching information (SI), and a control information generating unit (4) which generates control information (TI) upon the occurrence of a discontinuity in the reproduced color television signals, the control information generating unit (4) of the system (1) and the switching information generating unit (96) of the color television receiving device (3) are interconnected so as to cooperate with one another, and the control information (TI

Abstract: A solid state imaging device comprising: a plurality of photosensitive pixels for scanning an optical image signal falling thereon and converting the same photoelectrically which are arranged in parallel to one another in a main scan direction, wherein the photosensitive pixels are respectively formed in a triangle or in a trapezoid, the two mutually adjoining ones of the photosensitive pixels are positioned in point symmetry in which the two mutually adjoining photosensitive pixels are rotated in 180° about a point from each other, and the oblique sides of the two mutually adjoining photosensitive pixels are opposed to and in contact with each other.

Abstract: A method of processing picture data, by an electronic still camera, that includes forming image data of an object, displaying the image data as a picture on a display, recording the image data in memory in response to a first switching operation, and reproducing and displaying the recorded image data in response to a second switching operation. The first and second switching operations are carried out by a two-level push button switch.

Abstract: An addressing circuit designed for implementation within the device being addressed that uses less silicon space by selecting the desired address with shift register outputs. A fast shift register is coupled to a slow shift register by a combinatorial circuit having inputs from the fast shift register and the slow shift register to providing the selected address. A timing circuit is electrically coupled to each the fast shift register and the slow shift register. A mode select circuit that is operatively coupled to at least one of either the fast shift register or the slow shift register. The mode select circuit comprises a Boolean logic circuit that is operatively coupled to at least one of either the slow shift register or the fast shift register, the Boolean logic circuit having at least one logical input that determine a first portion of at least one of the shift registers to be used and a second portion of at least one of the shift registers to be discarded.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus wherein plural elements simultaneously pick up the image and the state of the incident light includes a plurality of image pickup elements for generating an object image signal on the basis of a signal output from at least one of the plurality of image pickup elements, and for generating an incident light state signal on the basis of a signal from another image pickup element having substantially the same photographing region as a photographing region of said at least one image pickup element which generates the object image signal. A read-out period for one frame of said at least one image pickup element which generates the object image signal being different from the read-out period for one frame of said another image pickup signal which generates the incident light state signal.

Abstract: An image sensing device, such as an electronic camera, has different operating modes that are suited for sensing images of documents and sensing images of landscapes and the like. In the document mode, since information in the document is important, the image sensor is set at a maximum resolution. In the landscape mode, the resolution is varied in accordance with image brightness, to optimize the exposure conditions. Additional image processing is carried out in the document mode to enhance the sensed image and increase the efficiency with which memory is utilized.

Abstract: Data on multiple stories or scenes are recorded on a recording medium so as to reduce the physical distance moved by a pickup at playback time and to suppress breaks or disturbances in reproduced video. A multi-scene program having a plurality of optionally selectable branch stories B0, B1, B2, B3, etc., is recorded between a branch point X and a connection point Y. The preceding main story of a video program, made up of video, sound, text and the like, branches off at branch point X to the branch stories, and at connection point Y connects to the succeeding main story in the video program. The recorded state between the branch point X and the connection point Y is such that the branch stories are each divided into multiple cells and the cells of the respective branch stories are recorded time-division multiplexed.

Abstract: An image reading device is provided that includes a linear image sensor (such as a CCD), a contrast detecting system, and a focus condition judging system. The focus condition judging system is arranged to detect when the image reading device is in an in-focus condition based on output of the image sensor. Further, a driving mechanism is provided that moves an imaging lens or the image sensor, while the contrast detecting system monitors contrast data calculated from the output of the image sensor. An in-focus condition may be detected when the contrast data substantially reaches a maximum value. The maximum value may be a first maximum value detected during the movement controlled by the driving mechanism or may be a maximum value over a predetermined range of the controlled movement.

Abstract: In an image recording apparatus, an imaging surface of an image device is formed so as to store and read out an image by arranging two-dimensionally a plurality of photoelectric transfer elements, the imaging surface is divided along lines into a plurality of blocks, scanning lines are formed in accordance with the photoelectric transfer elements arranged in a horizontal direction of the respective divided blocks, and the plurality of scanning lines of the respective blocks are parallelly linearly scanned to output a multichannel video signals.

Abstract: A housing for a portable electronic device which produces output on a display. The display is rotatable with respect to the housing, about a pivot. A video camera is located at the pivot, and the display rotates about it.

Abstract: White balance control for a video camera is strongly influenced by remarkably change of brightness level, color of an object and photographing conditions. An automatic white balance control device according to the present invention for a video camera can control white balance by controlling timming of outputing control signals for controlling gains of amplifiers for control white balance and changing signal process of a picture image in accordance with a percentage of white color shared in the picture image.

Abstract: A pair of guide grooves are formed to extend parallel with each other on an outer surface of a housing of an electronic image pickup apparatus with a lens opening interposed therebetween. A lens barrier has both end portions engaged with the paired guide grooves and is movable between a close position for closing the lens opening and an open position for opening the lens opening while both end portions are guided by the guide grooves. One of the guide grooves opens in a cross direction crossing a front direction to which a front surface area, in which the lens opening is formed, on the outer surface of the housing, is directed, and the other of the guide grooves opens in the front direction on the outer surface of the housing.

Abstract: A system and method for dynamically updating software-driven features in an electronic imaging device, including digital cameras, is disclosed. The user of the electronic imaging device may desire various features which are not supported by the baseline application program that is built into the electronic imaging device. In the present invention, the user may select removable memory devices to supplement the baseline application program. The user inserts the removable memory device into an external connector of the electronic imaging device. The computer of the electronic imaging device then automatically scans the removable memory device for executable software items, and displays these items in various menus as appropriate. The user may then select these items for execution without having to reboot the computer of the electronic imaging device. When the user is finished using the features on the removable memory device, he may remove it with no subsequent operator intervention required.