Abstract: In a video camera, black level correction is turned off in a backlight correction condition or when an AGC gain is high, video signals are converted to digital signals by an A/D converter, the digital video signals are compared with a reference value by a data comparator, and a number of times that the comparison is less than the reference value is counted by an integrator. The reference value, where the counted number of times is the predetermined number of times or more, is determined by a microcomputer, a black level correction value according to the determined reference value is set, and clamp circuits are provided with the black level correction value to correct the black level, thereby preventing a bad influence due to black level correction during exposure correction or when the AGC gain is high, and making black level correction by digital processing.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a solid state imager device in which an electronic shutter function is provided and charges never overflow a light receiving portion even when the light with a high intensity enters thereinto and to provide the driving method thereof. In the solid state imager device and the driving method, an electronic shutter operation is conducted by sweeping out the charges in the light receiving portion by applying a predetermined voltage to a substrate, and the voltage application period is within a horizontal blanking period when an effective exposure period of the electronic shutter exceeds a vertical blanking period and the voltage application period covers an effective horizontal scanning period when the effective exposure period is within the vertical blanking period.

Abstract: This invention is related to a video signal color correction device. Color information signal inputs are received in rectangular form. A coordinates conversion means converts the inputs into polar coordinates using one of the inputs as a polar axis. The device has a correction data storing means in which are stored luminance signal correction data dependent on a luminance signal and the polar coordinates and color information signal correction data. The correction data storing means outputs the luminance signal correction data and the color information signal correction data in accordance with the luminance signal and the polar coordinates. A correction means corrects the luminance signal and the polar coordinates on the basis of the luminance signal correction data and the color information signal correction data output from the correction data storing means.

Abstract: An electronic camera is provided as a module that attaches to the signal bus of a PC-compatible computer. The camera includes a minimum of components, particularly an image sensor and an A/D converter, and a PC-compatible interface connector for mating with a bus extension connector on the computer. By directly presenting digitized data from the camera to the signal bus of the computer through the bus connector, the camera can be kept relatively simple and the computer can be relied upon to perform image processing, storage, and display.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for sampling an analog, periodic, measured signal, which is subject to a phase jitter. The misread signal is to be detected with a prior event. One measured value is recorded for each individual signal and each successive measured value recording is delayed by a time unit in which each measured value recording takes place in a fixed time grid with a prior event, and in which the point in time of the start of the signal is detected in the time grid and is stored, assigned to the recorded measured value.

Abstract: A video camera includes a lens for collecting a light from an object to be photographed; an image pickup device for converting the light collected by the lens into an electric signal; an analog to digital converting circuit for converting the electric signal from the image pickup device into a digital signal; a memory circuit for storing the digital signal obtained by the analog to digital conversion; a shake detector for detecting a shake of the video camera; calculating unit for obtaining a correction amount from an output signal of the shake detector; a correcting unit for correcting a shake of an image accompanied with a slight shake of a body of the video camera on the basis of an output signal of the calculating means; a zoom system for enlarging or reducing the object to be photographed; and a control unit for changing the correcting unit in accordance with a change of zoom of the zoom system.

Abstract: A single unit video camera-recorder operable either in camera or video mode comprises a mode switch for setting the camera or video mode of the single-unit video camera-recorder, function keys for instructing functions of the single-unit video camera-recorder, a light source for illuminating the function keys, and a controller for controlling the light to illuminate the function keys only when the single-unit video camera-recorder is set either in the camera or video mode.

Abstract: While the EE mode is set to continuously display a picture signal on a display unit, (a) a control unit energizes a shutter and a picture data recording and reproducing unit to take a still picture of an object and record the picture data on a memory in the picture data recording and reproducing unit, when a second contact of a shutter button is energized, and (b) the control unit energizes a switching circuit and the picture data recording and reproducing unit to reproduce the picture data recorded in the memoryand display it on the display unit, when a first contact of the shutter button is energized and the energization is continued for a predetermined time.

Abstract: An image shake compensation circuit comprising a motion information detector for detecting motion information based on the occurrence of an image shake when the image shake occurs in an encoded video signal, a shake compensator for obtaining a start display position of an image of a present frame according to the motion information detected by the motion information detector, and a decoder for decoding the encoded video signal, correcting a display position of the image of the present frame in response to an output signal from the shake compensator if the encoded video signal has previously been compensated for the image shake and compensating for the image sake if the encoded video signal has not previously been compensated for the image shake.

Abstract: A view finder of a video camera is provided with a lens for enlarging the picture; a housing accommodating the lens therewithin; an eye cup mounted to the housing; and a shield detachably mounted to the eye cup for preventing a contaminant from flowing into the view finder. The shield fits into a camera lens cap of the video camera having one or more pairs of protrusions while video camera is in use. Further, the shield engaged with the camera lens cap is mounted to a holder attached to a handle of the video camera.

Abstract: Solid state electronic cameras are made modular so that replacement of inoperative CCD imagers can be done quickly and inexpensively by storing in the camera heads the operating parameters of each of a variety of imagers such as charge coupled device imagers. A camera head with a replacement imager communicates to a resident controller the parameters of the replacement imager selected. Operating parameters such as clock pulse signals may, in addition, be varied as to pulse width and frequency. The parameters are stored in an address set in a look up table in association with imager identifications.

Abstract: In a telecine apparatus for converting a light passed through a film into a video signal comprises a transporting device for transporting the film intermittently, operation of a shutter is controlled so that a light from an irradiating device becomes incident on a solid state image sensing element of odd and even simultaneous exposure and sequential-read out system during a period between a storage starting timing of a signal of an odd field of the solid state image sensing element and a read-out timing of a signal of an even field or during a period between a storage starting timing of a signal of an even field of the solid state image sensing element and a read-out timing of a signal of an even field. Further, operation of the transporting device is controlled such that a timing at which the film is intermittently transported becomes the equal interval.

Abstract: A wide-angle lens produces a distorted wide-angle optical image. An imaging sensor, having a surface in optical communication with the wide-angle lens, converts the wide-angle optical image into a corresponding output signal. The imaging sensor includes a plurality of imaging elements. The plurality of imaging elements have a distribution on the surface of the sensor that is representable by a nonlinear function, wherein the distribution of the imaging elements corrects the distortion in the wide-angle image.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus including an image sensing device for receiving a light signal, performing a photoelectric conversion, and generating image information. The device also includes a first type semiconductor substrate, and a second type semiconductor layer formed on the first type semiconductor substrate. In addition, there is provided a light receiving portion formed on the second type semiconductor layer. This portion receives a light signal, performs a photoelectric conversion, and generates image information. Moreover, there is control circuitry for controlling the image sensing device such that image information is output repeatedly once each reading period nT (where n is an integer equal to or greater than two and T is a field period of a standard television signal). Information corresponding to a partial interval T1 within the reading period nT is carried to the first type semiconductor substrate. There is also provided altering circuitry for altering the length of the partial interval T1.

Abstract: A video camera apparatus having a plurality of functions including a select switch through which a mode for executing one of various functions is selected, an execute switch through which a particular mode selected through the select switch is executed, and a controller which controls the display of a representation of the selected mode on the electronic viewfinder before the execute switch is operated. Thereafter, when the execute switch is operated, the mode is entered. The controller may include a selection cancelling device for cancelling a previously selected function.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion detection cell includes a photodiode; a storage capacitor for storing a photo-induced charge induced in the photodiode; and a transfer transistor for transferring the photo-induced charge induced in the photodiode to the storage capacitor, the source of the transfer transistor being connected to the photodiode, the drain of the transfer transistor being connected to the storage capacitor; an inverting amplifier, the input of the inverting amplifier being connected to the photodiode, the output of the inverting amplifier being connected to the gate of the transfer transistor. Also, the photo-induced charge stored in the storage capacitor may be reset and an amplified output corresponding to the photo-induced charge stored in the storage capacitor may be generated by an amplifier. The photoelectric conversion detection cell is used as a pixel to form a low noise and high sensitivity solid state image pickup device.

Abstract: An electronic camera having an image sensor responsive to a preliminary exposure for producing an output signal, a computing circuit for computing a proper exposure condition on the basis of the signal, and a compensating circuit for compensating the exposure value in accordance with the proper exposure condition is provided with a compensation prohibiting circuit for prohibiting the exposure compensation by the preliminary exposure by taking into account the object condition and the exposure mode.

Abstract: A camera-integrated video recorder system having a remote-control unit arranged to be detachably mountable thereon is provided with a switching circuit, which is arranged to switch the operation mode of the system between a camera shooting mode and a video recorder mode in association with an operation of mounting or demounting the remote-control unit on or from the camera body of the system.

Abstract: In a white balance adjusting apparatus, information about picture portions whose color components cannot be detected under normal conditions, e.g., picture portions whose brightness level is excessively high, or excessively low, are suppressed from white balance controlling data, so that data required for the white balance control can be correctly obtained without using small windows which a frame of picture is subdivided into. For this purpose, signals of predetermined window portions within one frame of picture are integrated by integration circuits, while weighting the signals by multiplication factor generating means based on brightness level, and then a white balance control is carried out by using an integrated value.

Abstract: A light amount control apparatus including an iris (2) for adjusting an amount of a light from a lens (1) and supplying the adjusted light amount to a CCD element (3), an iris driving unit (9) for driving the iris (2), an iris position detecting unit (10) for detecting an aperture value of the iris (2), a shutter driving unit (8), and a microcomputer (11) for controlling the iris (2) through the shutter driving unit (8) and the iris driving unit (9). The aperture value of the iris (2) can be prevented from being increased after the position of the iris (2) detected by the iris position detecting unit (10) is located a little ahead of the position at which a diffraction phenomenon occurs. After the iris position detecting unit is located a little ahead of the position at which the diffraction phenomenon occurs, the aperture value of the iris (2) can be prevented from being increased.