Abstract: An image pickup apparatus photoelectrically converts image light from an object. The image light incident on the photosensing plane of the image pickup apparatus is optically controlled by a zoom lens and a focus lens. A controller drives the zoom lens to its telephoto position and drives the focus lens to its closest position so that bright image light is prevented from being focused on the photosensing plane.

Abstract: A camcorder having a battery compartment below the lens optical axis includes optical lenses for receiving light from an object. A housing is provided for housing the optical lenses. A battery load section capable of mounting a battery for supplying power to the housing is disposed at a bottom of the housing. The battery load section is capable of supporting different kinds of batteries of different sizes.

Abstract: A matrix array image sensor integrated circuit chip is provided including horizontal and vertical scanning means with the sensor cells within columns of the array being associated with an analogue charge sense amplifier. The analogue charge sense amplifier includes a first amplifier in the form of an inverting charge integrator which provides a preliminary detection of the charge accumulated in the sensing cell by integrating the charge to produce a voltage which is capacitively stored in a voltage storage means. The sensing cell may then be reset by control logic while it is isolated from the stored voltage which is in turn selectively sampled using a switch to read out through a second amplifier stage to be provided as an output from the integrated circuit chip. A method for operation of the device in processing an image read cycle is also provided.

Abstract: In an array of charge injection device (CID) detectors, integer amplification is incorporated into each respective detector of the array. The amplifier for each CID detector in the array performs multiple nondestructive readouts. This provides a gain of N amplification of the signal charge in that detector wherein the signal charge is accurately replicated in a separate charge storage well defined by a magnitude capacitor coupled to the detector. Thus, at the end of the readout process, this separate well contains charge equal to N times the signal charge, N being the number of nondestructive readout cycles in the readout process.

Abstract: A video camera apparatus including a video camera device, a battery for supplying electric energy to the video camera device, an adapter detachably mounted in the video camera device to connect the video camera device with the battery, and a connecting device. The video camera device may be attached to the base unit and thereby be connected with another electrical apparatus, such as a VCR.

Abstract: A device for determining a control signal for an image observation system including an image intensifier and an image converter wherein the control signal is representative of the contrast range of an output signal of the image converter and with control elements for adjusting the gain of the image intensifier and the gain of the image converter in a manner whereby the control signal at a value representative of a large contrast range in the output of signal of the converter results in higher adjustment gain of the image intensifier and a lower adjustment gain to the image converter and where the control signal at a value representative of a low contrast range in the output signal of the image converter results in lower adjustment gain to the image intensifier and higher adjustment gain to the image converter.

Abstract: Video images are received by the present invention and processed to directly provide a video output having the appearance of a motion-picture-film-recorded image. The output of the invention may be provided directly for a television broadcast or recording on video tape. Simulation of film frames is provided by progressively scanning an imager at a rate similar to the frame rate of a motion picture film camera. Addition of filtered noise to provide the appearance of grain in photographic film and alteration of the apparent contrast provide variable artistic attributes which are adjustable for the desired film appearance.

Abstract: The dynamic range of an image array photosite is improved by, first, turning on a column clamp transistor having a source coupled to a photosite transistor source and a drain coupled to a photosite transistor drain, wherein the column clamp transistor is turned on by a column clamp transistor gate voltage; then decreasing a current supplied to a column sense line below a quiescent value, wherein the column sense line is coupled to the photosite transistor source; then turning on the photosite transistor by a photosite transistor gate voltage; then turning off the photosite transistor and the column clamp transistor at substantially the same time; then increasing the current above the quiescent value; and then returning the current to the quiescent value.

Abstract: A photographic system includes a photographing device for photographing subjects to generate respective image data of the subjects, the photographing device having an image information production device for producing image information concerning the photography for each of the subjects, and a storage device for storing the produced image information, and a reproduction device for reproducing the image data, the reproduction device having a retrieval condition input device for inputting a retrieval condition, a retrieval device responsive to the retrieval condition input device for retrieving image data having a connection with the input retrieval condition by inference, and a reproducing device for reproducing the retrieved image data.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a CCD image sensing device in which an amplifying transistor for amplifying a photoelectrically-converted signal charge and outputting the amplified signal charge to a vertical signal line is provided at every pixel of a plurality of pixels arrayed in a two-dimensional fashion and a load transistor is connected to each of the vertical signal lines, in which the load transistor is composed of a first field effect transistor having a constant current characteristic and a second field effect transistor acting as a negative feedback resistor function connected in series.

Abstract: A solid state image pickup device includes light-receiving circuitry having a plurality of light-receiving cells arranged in a matrix. Apparatus is provided for reading and storing electrical signals output by the light-receiving circuitry, and includes (1) a first memory for reading bright signals out of the light-receiving cells arranged in a row for storing the bright signals for a horizontal scanning period, (2) a second memory for reading dark signals out of the light-receiving cells arranged in the row for storing the dark signal for the horizontal scanning period, and (3) a readout circuit for reading the bright and dark signals stored in the first and second memories simultaneously. A removing circuit is provided for removing fixed pattern noise by simultaneously processing the bright and dark current signals read out from the first and second memories. Preferably, this removing circuit comprises a differential amplifier.

Abstract: A television camera device having an image pickup structure, with a plurality of control units, for producing an optimum image output signal that (i) corresponds to a received object image (ii) is in accordance with one of a plurality of predetermined image pickup environments. The device includes a memory for storing scene files which contain image pickup control data for the plurality of the predetermined image pickup environments, and a mode setting structure for selecting a particular scene file from the scene files stored in the memory. Further, the device includes a timer operatable in response to the selection of a scene file by the mode setting structure, and an operation structure, coupled to the image pickup structure, the memory, the mode setting structure, and the timer.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device comprises a control circuit for applying a control signal to a control electrode of a photoelectric transducer, an operating point detection circuit for receiving an output signal from the photoelectric transducer and inverting an output state thereof depending on a level of the output signal, and a sample/hold circuit controlled by an output of the operating point detection circuit to hold a signal level corresponding to the control signal as developed when the output state of the operating point detection circuit is inverted, the signal held by the sample/hold circuit being read as a photoelectrically converted output. Photoelectric conversion characteristics thereby exhibits good linearity.

Abstract: The camera system of the present invention simultaneously searches for a number of differing optical acquisition targets. This system may decode, for example, both bar codes and concentric rings. The scan signal is constantly adjusted according to both a dark reference for correcting offset and a white reference for correcting gain. The gain is also corrected according to the scanning rate as well as the amount of illumination present. A measure of this illumination may be applied directly to the optical scanning device by way of a fiber optic cable which transmits light from the illumination source. Optical calibration is eliminated by fixed optics wherein all optical elements are rigidly mounted at very close tolerances. The illumination source is disposed on one focus of an ellipse wherein the other focus is disposed at the maximum scanning distance and the reflector is formed to define the illumination ellipse to maximize the light applied to the object.

Abstract: In a video camera having at least a semiconductor image sensor and a rotary sector shutter arranged in the radiation path of the semiconductor image sensor, in which the light-dependent charge integration in the semiconductor image sensor is released by applying a control signal, the sector shutter includes a plurality of light-transmissive sectors of different size. The charge integration of the semiconductor image sensor is released before a selected light-transmissive sector enters the radiation path thereby ensuring equal integration periods for all portions of the semiconductor image sensor.

Abstract: A method and means for converting a high resolution machine monitored phoiode array, comprising staircased linear sets of detectors operating in a time-delay-integration mode, to a low resolution visually monitored array, by delaying the output signal of odd sets in the staircase by the time required to scan one set and integrating the outputs of odd and even sets.

Abstract: A recording medium is formed by laminating a first transparent electrode, a photoconductive layer member, a recording member and a second transparent electrode in order. The recording medium has voltage supply members, having a conductive material, being provided to peripheral portions of the electrodes, equalizing electric potentials of the peripheral portions respectively when a specific voltage is applied across the electrodes, to make currents flow from the peripheral portions to respective portions of the electrodes, thus a potential difference between the electrodes, thus a potential difference between the electrodes being constant. There is also a recording medium having first and second transparent electrodes, a photoconductive layer member and a recording member.

Abstract: An image reading device includes a plurality of photoelectric converting elements, a plurality of accumulating elements corresponding to each of the photoelectric converting elements, and switching circuitry for reading out the signals accumulated in the accumulating elements. Each of the photoelectric converting elements comprises a switching portion and a sensor portion. Driving circuitry is provided for driving the photoelectric converting elements by activating the switching portions to release the charges accumulated in the accumulating elements through the photoelectric converting elements in order to reset the accumulated elements.

Abstract: A film adaptor, to be used in combination with a still video camera, for recording an image from a conventional photographic film using the still video camera. The film adaptor has a recording button and an erasing button. By depressing the recording button, the image on the film is recorded by the still video camera and is reproduced immediately thereafter, for confirmation of the recorded image. If the image is considered unnecessary, the erasing button is depressed while the recording button remains depressed, whereupon the recorded image is erased. The film image recording operation is therefore conducted in a simple manner.

Abstract: A charge coupled device image sensor is comprised of an imaging section including a plurality of photoelectric converting sections arrayed in a matrix configuration for generating signal charges and a plurality of horizontal shift registers arranged between the horizontal rows of the photoelectric converting sections for transferring the signal charges via a readout section in the horizontal direction, a storage section having a plurality of horizontal shift registers for transferring the signal charges in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction line by line, a readout section coupled to the storage section and including a plurality of horizontal shift registers for reading out signal charges from the storage section, and a serial-to-parallel converting section provided between the imaging section and the storage section for storing one-line of signal charges from the imaging section into double-line of image signal.