Abstract: An automatic focusing device comprises a binary coded information producing unit for producing binary coded information by comparing the levels of a predetermined component in each of a plurality of areas set on an image sensing plane of and image sensor with a predetermined value, a first detector for comparing binary coded information in each of the plurality of areas in one field with that in another field among a plurality of fields differing timewise from each other to produce a signal based on the difference between the two binary coded information, a second detector for detecting a total value, for one image plane, of differences in the predetermined component between adjacent areas among the plurality of areas of the image sensing plane, a computing unit for obtaining a degree of relative variations in information on images formed on the image sensing plane in different fields by computing the result of detection made by the first and second detectors and a control unit for controlling a focus adjusti

Abstract: A video camera apparatus has an optical zoom and an electronic zoom which are both smoothly operated in a ganged relation while a zoom speed is maintained. The optical zoom means and electronic zoom means are respectively controlled by microcomputers. In that case, zoom information, such as a zoom magnification, is supplied to the two microcomputers via a serial communication, or a zoom magnification of the optical zoom means is constantly supplied to the microcomputer. When the optical zoom means reaches a wide angle lens end or telephoto lens end, a zoom speed thereof is not stopped rapidly but the zoom speed thereof is progressively decreased just before the optical zoom means reaches the wide angle lens end or telephoto lens end under the control of the microcomputer. When a zooming operation is started, the electronic zoom means do not immediately reach target zoom speeds but progressively increase their zoom speeds to reach the target zoom speeds.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for processing the output signals of a charge transfer device having at least one row of photoelectric elements. The charge transfer device produces output signals with charge levels that are provided to a shift register having a plurality of elements. The successive charge levels from each photoelectric element are provided to respective shift register elements, and the charge levels are transferred within the shift register to a readout terminal. Some of the charge is retained by each element as the charge is transferred. The retained charge is added to the next charge transferred into the element. This adding of residual charges averages the charges transferred, producing undesirable noise. A sample and hold device removes sampling artifacts inherent in the signal provided by the CCD, to produce a signal representing successive image pixel values.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving an image pick-up device is provided with arrays of photoelectric elements, and vertical transfer portions are located adjacent to the arrays of photoelectric elements. A photographing lens for forming a focused image of an object to be photographed on the light receiving surface of the image pick-up device, a release device for performing a release operation, and a diaphragm device having a diaphragm for adjusting the quantity of light incident upon said light-receiving surface of the image pick-up device are provided. The diaphragm is normally fully closed but when a release operation is commenced, the diaphragm device opens the diaphragm to a predetermined diaphragm value, and fully closes the diaphragm in accordance with a predetermined stop-down speed after a completion of the exposure.

Abstract: In an illumination system for a film telecine scanner of the type adapted to provide a line of illumination on the image frames of a film which is supported for rapid movement in a film gate of the scanner, an improved light control system for adjusting the amount of light that is delivered from a light source to an integrating cylinder to take into account fluctuations in intensity of the light source and desired intensity changes in the line of illumination upon a change of scene in the image frames of the film as the film is being scanned. The light control system includes aperture defining apparatus for selectively adjusting the amount of light entering said integrating cylinder in response to the commanded light intensity signal within the time span of scanning a single image frame of the film.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a solid state image sensor in which one horizontal line from an image sensor section is selected as a line in which a signal is read out from a pixel, a signal is read out to a vertical signal line by a vertical scanning in which selected horizontal lines are sequentially switched, and pixel the signal of the horizontal line, processed in a correlation double sampling fashion, is read out to a horizontal signal line in a constant order. This solid state image sensor has an electronic shutter function includes an electronic shutter scanning means for resetting a horizontal line spaced apart from a horizontal line currently read out by a shutter time in the vertical scanning direction.

Abstract: A solid-state CCD image pick-up device includes optoelectric transducing elements corresponding to pixels vertically and horizontally arrayed in a matrix forming column linear arrays defining a column direction and at least one vertical charge transfer path associated with a corresponding adjacent column linear array. Pixel signals are vertically transferred from the column linear arrays to the vertical charge transfer paths such that gate signals occurring at predetermined times are applied to gate electrodes of the vertical charge transfer paths to permit the pixel signals to be scan read by a horizontal charge transfer path. Switching elements are provided for transfer gate electrodes and a drive circuit sequentially generates drive signals for groups of gate electrodes during periods in which the switching elements are rendered conductive to allow a full frame scan read to be performed by supplying a predetermined number of timing signals to the gate electrodes.

Abstract: In a video camera in strobe mode, when a condition for strobe light emission is ready, the aperture of an iris is reduced and the gain of an AGC amplifier is fixed at a predetermined value. Accordingly, a dark image representing the condition ready for strobe light emission is displayed on an electronic view finder, and in addition saturation of charge accumulation is prevented.

Abstract: A video camera having a plurality of solid-state image sensors in an imaging part uses two kinds of vertical drive signals different in the number of vertical transfer operations, to produce a time lag equal to one horizontal period between the output signals of the solid-state image sensors without changing the optical positional relation between the solid-state image sensors, thereby delaying the red and blue signals with respect to the green signal by one horizontal period based on the application of the two kinds of vertical drive signals.

Abstract: A new imaging technique increases the effective frame rate of a video cam to a rate as high as one million Hz. In this technique, raw video signals are taken from the camera's sensors before the camera's logic does any signal processing. These signals are sent to an interface unit which selects signal segments for creating a composite image, the segments' size being as small as one or two pixels. Portions of the video signal that are not selected are given a zero value by the interface unit. The video signals are thereafter sent to the camera's signal processing logic, which converts the video signals into signals representing frames comprised of raster scan lines. The selected video signal segments become discrete portions of frames which are collected by a frame grabber. The frame grabber counts the times it has collected each discrete frame portion, determines an average value for each discrete portion, and builds the composite image from the averaged frame portions.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device including a focus detection circuit for detecting a focus state, and a motor for driving a focusing lens in accordance with an output from the focus detection circuit. The device controls the driving state of the motor in accordance with a result of comparing the amplitude of hunting of the focusing lens with a predetermined value when the direction of the drive of the focusing lens is reversed.

Abstract: Column direction transfer sections provided every photosensitive element trains are such that the transfer direction of the odd columns and that of the even columns are opposite to each other. A conversion section for reversing the transfer order is connected to at least one final transfer stage of the column direction transfer sections, and charges transferred are thus transported to row direction transfer sections. Thus, it is possible to transfer and output, in the same direction, signal charges transferred in directions opposite to each other every columns to the two row direction transfer sections in such a manner that those signal charges are distributed thereto. For this reason, the number of transfer stages of each row direction transfer section can be reduced to one half, the dimension every stage can be twice larger than that of the prior art, and the operating frequency can be also reduced to one half.

Abstract: A noise suppression, signal recovery circuit for use with an array of charge coupled device having a plurality of phase readouts. The video information present in the multiple phases are combined into a single video output signal by using a minimal number of parts while providing for noise suppression designed to suppress typical noise present in charge coupled device arrays.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a light source switching type color image scanner in which a color signal can be read out at high speed by reducing a read-out time. A red light source (3), a green light source (4) and a blue light source (5) which can be selectively switched are disposed under an original document holder (1) on which an original document (2) is held. Further, there are disposed a mirror (7) and a lens (8) which are used to focus a reflected image of the original document (2) onto a CCD linear image sensor (6). The CCD linear image sensor (6) includes a shutter gate (12) and a shutter drain (13) which are used to reset signal charges of remaining lights from the respective light sources (3), (4) and (5). The reset of a signal charge begins before a next color light source is energized.

Abstract: A video camera having a zoom function and a camera system are provided, wherein a ratio of view fields of the video camera and a photographic camera is calculated based on information about zooming powers of imaging lenses, and an image frame of the photographic cameras is displayed in a variable size at an electronic viewfinder in accordance with the ratio of the view fields and based on a picked-up image of fixed size, or a picked-up image is displayed in a variable size on the basis of the image frame of the photographic camera. View angles of the video camera and the photographic camera are obtained from the information about the zooming powers of the imaging lenses, and zoom adjustment is carried out with the view angles coinciding with each other, or the zooming power of one of the video camera and the photographic camera is adjusted such that the view angles become equal to each other.

Abstract: A camera system including an objective lens system and a camera body comprises: a movable lens unit included in the objective lens system to act as a variator for varying a focal length of whole of the objective lens system; a CCD for receiving light passed through the objective lens system to pick up an image formed by the objective lens system; a motor for shifting the CCD along the optical axis of the objective lens system; a first detector for detecting a position of an image formed by the objective lens system to produce a defocus signal representing the position of the image; a second detector for detecting a position of the movable lens unit along the optical axis to produce a lens position signal representing the detected position of the movable lens unit; and a controller for controlling the motor in accordance with both of the defocus signal and the lens position signal to bring the light receiver to the position of the image formed by the objective lens system.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for controlling a high resolution charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor operate in accordance with a television standard to provide horizontal, vertical, and other CCD control signals to obtain a purely sequential high resolution mode of operation on the one hand. Alternatively, there is a modified mode of operation which provides interlaced even and odd groups of video signals to be viewed directly on a television viewfinder display. The apparatus includes a frequency generator, a standard timing generator, a pixel clock generator, and a small number of additional timers and logic units which are driven by signals from the generators to selectably generate the vertical, horizontal, and other CCD control signals for the alternate modes of operation.

Abstract: A support head for television or motion-picture cameras able to allow horizontal and azimuthal panning shots, is made up of balancing member and device of control and adjustment of both horizontal and azimuthal movements. The device for the control and adjustment of azimuthal and horizontal movements includes a braking element and a braked element, assembled on the same axis and each made up of a series of facing annular surfaces. The annular surfaces of the braking system engage in the spaces between adjacent facing surfaces of the braking element. A high viscosity fluid is arranged between the facing surfaces of the braking and braked elements. The device for actuating the braking element for adjustment of azimuthal movement is made up of a screw control arranged inside the support head, rotating inside a hollow shaft element slidable in a longitudinal direction and having slot ports on its outer surface.

Abstract: In an image sensor provided on a chip, there are a plurality of photodiodes for receiving light. The photodiodes are disposed in at least two rows which are spaced apart from one another. An elongated photodiode which is at least partially covered by a light shield is used to monitor the photodiodes in the first and second rows. The outputs from image sensor are amplified by first and second amplifiers which are also located on the same chip as the image sensor.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus comprises a solid-state imager having a plurality of photoelectric converter elements operative to accumulate therein an electric charge corresponding to an amount of an incident light, register sections adjacent to the photoelectric converter elements operative to transfer an electric charge inputted from the photoelectric converter elements in synchronization with first and second clock signals, the electric charge in the register sections being transferred only when both the first and second clock signals are activated under the condition that phases of the first and second clock signals are in reverse value, and the electric charge being transferred only when the phases of the first and second clock signals are in reverse condition, and a device for controlling the first and second clock signals for activating only one of the first and second clock signals for N cycle (N is an integer) just before the transfer of the electric charge is started.