Patents Examined by Wendy R. Greening
  • Patent number: 5633677
    Abstract: In a TV camera apparatus having an image sensor which photo-electrically converts image sensing light coming from an object, a signal processing circuit which converts a signal output from the image sensor into a luminance signal and color-difference signals and negative-to-positive inverters which invert the luminance signal and the color-difference signals from negative to positive, variable gain amplifiers are arranged within color-difference signal systems to amplify the color-difference signals; and the variable gain amplifiers are arranged to be controlled on the basis of the luminance signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadashi Okino, Kunio Ninomiya
  • Patent number: 5583479
    Abstract: A method is described for operation of a motor vehicle alarm system having a central control unit connected to several control units of the motor vehicle. All non-safety-relevant control units of the vehicle are bidirectionally connected to the central control unit of the alarm system, where a certain code for the respective activation state of the alarm system is stored in the non-safety-relevant control units and can be read out there. In the case of a replacement of control units the replaced control units are activated by the non-replaced control units in the original form when the vehicle is started. At least a part of the non-safety-relevant control units is deactivated or negatively affected in operation when the alarm system is not deactivated correctly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Temic Telefunken Microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Hettich, Peter Robitschko
  • Patent number: 5579048
    Abstract: A selection apparatus including a display unit for indicating a plurality of displays on the same screen, a line-of-sight position detecting unit for detecting a line-of-sight position of an operator on the screen, and an input unit through which the operator inputs an instruction, the input unit operating without using a line of sight. The selection apparatus also includes a control unit. When the display unit displays all of the displays on the same screen in response to an instruction input through the input unit, and the line-of-sight position detecting unit detects the line-of-sight position on any of the displays, the control unit selects the display on which the line-of-sight position has been detected. The control unit differentiates a status of display of the selected display from those of the non-selected displays. The control unit then executes the contents of the selected display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahide Hirasawa
  • Patent number: 5555021
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a compact television camera having a circuit that prevents switching noises by that a transistor of a power supply circuit being switched on for a dc-dc converter only during a blanking period eliminates the need for a transformer and shielding box for the dc- dc converter circuit and a low-pass filter circuit, thereby allowing the camera body to be made smaller. The compact television camera circuit, comprises in combination, a synchronizing signal generator (1), a timing signal generator (2) for generating a timing signal from said synchronizing signal generator (1) output, a vertical driver (3) and a horizontal driver (4) for generating vertical and horizontal scanning signals using the timing signal, a CCD pick-up device (5), a low-pass filter (8) for eliminating the high-frequency components of a video signal (b) output of said CCD pick-up device (5), and an output amplifier (11) for feeding out the video output signal (a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Watec America Corporation
    Inventor: Shigemi Igarashi
  • Patent number: 5543839
    Abstract: A focus adjusting device having an added capability of discriminating effective focal length information by using an image signal produced from an image pickup element is provided with an automatic focus adjusting circuit for moving a lens to the in-focus position on the basis of a high-frequency component in the image signal, and a circuit for discriminating effective focal length information of the lens from the degree of change of a low-frequency component in the image signal, wherein the gain of the automatic focus adjusting circuit is controlled in accordance with the discriminated focal length information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Suda, Masamichi Toyama, Akihiro Fujiwara, Kunihiko Yamada, Katsuji Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 5543835
    Abstract: An electronic camera includes a memory circuit for storing a video signal representing at least a single image, a signal processing circuit for conducting digital processing in a vertical direction with a predetermined characteristic on the video signal read out from the memory circuit in the vertical direction and for conducting digital processing in a horizontal direction with another predetermined characteristic which is different from the predetermined characteristic on the video signal read out from the memory circuit in the horizontal direction, and a control circuit for switching over reading out of the video signal from the memory circuit between the vertical direction and the horizontal direction and for switching over the processing characteristic of the signal processing circuit between the predetermined characteristic and the another predetermined characteristic which is different from the predetermined characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiko Mumura
  • Patent number: 5539457
    Abstract: A signal processing circuit for a solid state image sensor, includes a charge detection circuit for outputting a signal output from the image sensor, a first inverting amplifier receiving the signal output, and a second inverting amplifier having a source-grounded MOS transistor having a gate connected to receive an output of the first inverting amplifier. A threshold of the MOS transistor is set to be the same as a black reference voltage in the input signal applied to the MOS transistor. Thus, a reset noise included in the signal output from the image sensor is suppressed or removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1996
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Shiro Tsunai
  • Patent number: 5539456
    Abstract: A video camera or the like which comprises light emission means such as a strobe illuminating a foreground object includes white balance sensing. Since white balance of an image picked-up signal of foreground object being picked up with light emission of light emission means is controlled in accordance with colour temperature information, the effect of other sources of light besides the light emission means is taken into consideration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1996
    Assignee: AIWA Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Ishii
  • Patent number: 5539455
    Abstract: Power consumption in a still-video camera at playback of pixel data is suppressed. Image data indicative of each pixel is written in a frame memory in synchronization with a prescribed clock frequency (14.32 MHz) in a photographic mode. At the time of playback, a clock signal whose frequency (7.16 MHz) is half that of the clock signal in the photographic mode is applied to each circuit block of the camera. The value of the count in an H-direction address counter for outputting address data in the horizontal direction is doubled in a doubler circuit. Data representing the doubled value of the count is applied to a frame memory as horizontal-direction address data. As a result, the frame memory outputs pixel data that is thinned out every other pixel, and the outputted data is sent to a playback processing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1996
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuya Makioka
  • Patent number: 5537146
    Abstract: An inter-line, back-illuminated, solid state imaging device having a large active area. Metal signal lines providing driving signals to gate electrodes of vertical CCD shift-registers are disposed in front of radiation sensors. The metal signal lines can serve as metal mirrors for increasing the amount of usable radiation. At the gap portion of the metal signal lines, a second metal mirror can be provided. Alternatively, the dimension of the gap is smaller than the lowest wavelength of the band wavelength of the radiation to be detected. When a metal mirror is provided separately form the metal signal line group, the metal mirror can serve as a shield of the photoelectric conversion layer from the driving signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1996
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Shigeru Tohyama
  • Patent number: 5534923
    Abstract: A video camera apparatus in which a signal of a certain frequency is extracted from an image pickup signal from an image pickup element such as CCD by a band-pass filter, a difference between the maximum and minimum values of the frequency of the image pickup signal is detected by a detecting circuit, the extraction value extracted by a band-pass filter is divided by the detection value detected by the detecting circuit by a normalizing circuit, thereby normalizing a focus estimation value, and a focus adjusting lens is moved by a lens driving motor on the basis of the normalized focus estimation value, thereby executing an automatic focus adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Suda
  • Patent number: 5534924
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus is disclosed for extracting from a single shot, two pictures of an illuminated scene having a foreground zone and a background zone respectively. The first picture has a depth of field which is greater than the second picture. Subsequently the high frequency components are extracted from each of the pictures in order to reflect characteristics of each of the pictures which have the greatest amount of contrast or sharpness. The two high frequency signals are compared in order to obtain a depth of field signal based upon the differences between the two signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Thomson Broadcast
    Inventor: Olivier Florant
  • Patent number: 5534921
    Abstract: A CCD digital camera system has a digital camera and a detachable display device. The digital camera includes an imaging device for receiving an image of an object to be photographed, the imaging device outputting a digital signal corresponding to the received image. The digital camera also includes a data memory for storing a portion of the digital signal and a controller for controlling a transfer of a first portion of the digital signal from the imaging device to the memory. The display device has an image memory for storing image data and a display for displaying an image corresponding to the image data stored in the image memory. The controller monitors one of its inputs for a predetermined signal, the predetermined signal indicating whether the display device is attached to the digital camera. If a presence of the predetermined signal is detected, the controller transfers all of the digital signal to the image memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiji Sawanobori
  • Patent number: 5535288
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for computing cross-correlations with application to image processing and video motion estimation, particularly in video compression applications, are described. Two-dimensional Fourier transform convolution techniques form a basis for novel techniques for performing two simultaneous two-dimensional cross correlations. The size of the input data blocks for the transformations are arbitrary. Apparatus for efficiently performing real-time cross correlations, including cross-correlations using Short Length Transforms (SLTs), using cascaded stages, multi-port memories, and multiple arithmetic units are also described. In video motion vector estimator application, data blocks within a current video frame are selected and converted to form a two-dimensional matrix of complex data. The complex matrix is transformed to the frequency domain to form the frequency domain representations of the selected data blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Silicon Engines, Inc.
    Inventors: Chih-Kang Chen, Jerome F. Duluk, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5532743
    Abstract: An image pickup device capable of controlling the quantity of incident light. The device has a liquid crystal layer with upper and lower transparent electrodes disposed over a photosite. A fixed bias voltage is applied to the upper transparent electrode, while another voltage is applied to the lower transparent layer. The photosite converts incident light into electrons, and then stores a signal charge produced by the conversion of the incident light. A variation in the stored signal charge varies the voltage applied to the lower transparent layer. Thus, the liquid crystal layer modulates the incident light in response to a variation of the signal charge quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyoshi Komobuchi
  • Patent number: 5532763
    Abstract: A color projection video system utilizing only a single light valve. A white light source is separated into into red, green and blue bands. Scanning optics cause the RGB bands to be sequentially scanned across a light valve, such as a transmission LCD panel. Prior to each color passing over a given row of panels on the light valve, that row will be addressed, by the display electronics with the appropriate color content of that portion of the image which is being displayed. The image is projected by a projection lens onto a viewing surface, such as a screen. The sequence of light bands occurs so quickly as to give the viewer an appearance of simultaneous full color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: North American Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Peter J. Janssen, Ralph H. Bradley, Joseph P. Bingham, William F. Guerinot, Detlev Otto
  • Patent number: 5530476
    Abstract: A cassette eject mechanism for a recording or reproducing apparatus can remove a cassette eject button from a housing and can reliably eject a tape cassette only when a tape cassette should be loaded or unloaded. A battery loading mechanism for an electronic equipment can make the loading of battery simple and reliable, and becomes easy to handle. The locking mechanism can be simplified in structure so that the number of assembly parts can considerably be reduced. Further, a mechanical chassis supporting mechanism in a recording apparatus is for use with an apparatus in which a mechanical chassis or cabinet can be reduced in thickness. According to this mechanical chassis supporting mechanism, it is possible to prevent an external stress from being applied to the mechanical chassis as a twisting deform force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masayoshi Morikawa, Yoshitaka Matsumoto, Hisao Shirokoshi, Naoki Funakoshi
  • Patent number: 5530473
    Abstract: An electronic still camera device has a camera unit that is capable of recording and reproducing video and audio signals, and an audio adapter which can be detachably attached to the camera unit and which has operation switches, a microphone, a collected sound amount indicator and a circuit that is capable of compressing and expanding audio signals. In order to reduce the number of signal lines which are to be provided between the camera unit and the audio adapter, the audio adapter is automatically set in the audio playback mode when the audio adapter has detected that compressed audio signals are being delivered from the camera unit to the audio adapter. The camera unit has a power supply and is arranged to superpose a D.C. voltage of a high level or a low level to the compressed audio signal. A power supply switch provided in the audio adapter is capable of selectively supplying the source power from the camera unit to the audio adapter in accordance with the level of the D.C. voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuya Sakai, Harumi Aoki
  • Patent number: 5528294
    Abstract: A smear noise eradication method in a charge-coupled device (CCD) type camera comprises the steps of inputting respective image signals from one pair of CCD image pick-up devices whose lengthwise directions of corresponding vertical CCDs are perpendicularly disposed with respect to each other, and which are installed on an optical path, and eradicating smear noise after comparing the one pair of image signals according to corresponding pixels. Using the one pair of CCD image pick-up devices, the image signals of the CCD image pick-up devices are compared with each other. When the smear noise is generated, it is eradicated to obtain a high quality image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-il Jung, Seung-woo Lee
  • Patent number: 5528297
    Abstract: A video camera which is convertable into a projector includes a detachable view finder having an eye-piece for viewing a scene to be recorded and an opto-electrical converter which converts the scene into an electronic image. A coupling supports the view finder during use as a camera or a light source during use as a projector. A display screen receives the electronic image and converts the electronic image into a visible image. A switch selectively connects the display screen to input terminals during use as a camera and to output terminals during use as a projector. The opto-electronic converter is pivotable away from the display screen when the camera is used as a projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Deutsche Thomson-Brant GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Seegert, Fang Lei, Dieter Probach, Manfred Spruck