Abstract: In a display and image capture apparatus for a videophone or video teleconferencing system a half-transparent mirror array is disposed adjacent the display surface of a display and an image reflected by the half-transparent mirror array is captured by a video camera. The half-transparent mirror array is formed by a plurality of micro HMs arranged in the same plane at a predetermined inclination angle and reflects incident light from a subject toward the video camera.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for propagating robust scanning signals in pixel addressing operations in a pixel-to-pixel sequence that produces a predetermined pattern of alternating colors in an image signal so that a single channel, sequential color signal is generated from the pixel addressing operations in optoelectronic image transducers to reduce complexity and improve image fidelity.

Abstract: In a video camera having an image sensor for converting an object image into a video signal, a viewfinder for visualizing the object image and a power source, waste of electric energy is prevented by controlling the supply of power to the viewfinder by detecting the access or non-access of the eye of a photographer to the viewfinder. Waste of electric energy is further prevented by controlling the power supply to the image sensor by detecting the state of the access of the eye to the viewfinder. In a case where the video camera is provided with a recorder for recording the video signal on a recording medium, waste of the recording medium is prevented by detecting the access or non-access of the eye to the viewfinder and by inhibiting a recording action of the recorder according to the result of detection, so that unintended meaningless shooting can be prevented.

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 CCD linear image sensor comprises an array of linearly arranged photosensor cells, and a pair of CCD shift registers respectively arranged on both sides of the array of linearly arranged photosensor cells. The CCD shift registers are coupled in parallel to the linearly arranged photosensor cell array so as to read out signal charges from predetermined photosensor cells of the linearly arranged photosensor cell array and to transfer the read-out signal charge serially in the CCD shifter register. An output end of each CCD shift register is branched into a pair of CCD shift register transfer paths. An output circuit is connected to an output terminal of each of the branched CCD shift register transfer paths.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for allowing television systems using solid-state image sensors to be compatible with a multiplicity of television standards. Scenes conforming to a standard which specifies a format aspect ratio or a specific number of active scan lines per frame are input into the anamorphic television system. The anamorphic television system modifies these scenes to take optimum advantage of the resolution of the solid-state image sensor. The anamorphic television system alters the dimensions of the scene along the horizontal and/or vertical axis so that the scene conforms to the format aspect ratio of the solid state image sensor and/or to the number of active scan lines per frame as specified in the applicable standard. The solid-state image sensor converts the optical information into an electrical signal. This electrical signal is retrieved from the solid-state image sensor by timing circuitry.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for extending the dynamic range of an electronic imaging system to permit the use of lower cost, lower resolution devices to digitize and process the analog image signal generated by an electronic image sensor. Multiple images captured at different exposure levels are stored in a framestore. An electronic data processing unit then compares the pixels from the image captured at a normal exposure level to preselected exposure ranges to determine if the pixel is underexposed or overexposed. If the pixel is underexposed, the pixel is replaced with a corresponding pixel from an image captured at a higher exposure level. If the pixel is overexposed, the pixel is replaced with a corresponding pixel from an image captured at a lower exposure level. A two level optimization routine is employed, wherein median exposure valves are used to compensate for subject motion.

Abstract: A charge coupled device includes shift registers, a common transfer electrode, and a floating and diffusion layer. Clock pulses are applied to the common transfer electrode. In response to the clock pulses, the common transfer electrode outputs signal charges to the floating and diffusion layer at a time when the shift registers are not being driven. Therefore, there is no output voltage level difference between the different shift registers.

Abstract: Imaging devices often obtain images of a scene in which portions of the scene are obscured by particles that are interposed between the scene and the camera such as those images obtained when looking through falling snow or through particles stirred up by water currents in an underwater domain. An improved system for reducing the effects of those particles on reconstructed images of a scene consists of obtaining a number of images of a scene and replacing missing elements of the scene, which elements are ones obscured by the particles, with corresponding elements of the scene obtained from previous or following images in which those particular elements of the scene are visible. In this manner, a reconstructed image of the scene can be obtained in which the effects of the particles on the image is greatly reduced.

Abstract: An improved contact image sensor (CIS) which uses a two-phase shift register is disclosed. The shift register is clocked by both phases of the clock signal, thereby doubling its speed. A transmission gate in the shift register is eliminated and combined with one of the inverters to allow two-phase operation and reduce the number of transistors required to implement the shift register.

Abstract: An image processing technique in which illumination effects are reduced by subtraction of spatially weighted masks which are formed substantially simultaneously on an analog smoothing grid. Haloing are reduced by using a mask whose spatial weighting is non-linear at the boundary of image segments whose intensities differ by more than would be predicted by the Rule of Twenty which predicts that the ratio of naturally found reflectances seldom exceeds a factor of twenty. A color image is processed by forming differently scaled masks, each of which is related to a spectral component of the original image. The masks are subtracted from the image to form a composite image. The saturation level in each smoothing grid is selected to minimize adverse effects of illumination in that spectral component by causing segmentation of image areas whose intensity differences exceed natural reflectance ratios. The transfer functions of each grid may also separately adjusted to enhance the composite image.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a solid-state interline-transfer charge-coupled device (IT-CCD) image sensor having a matrix of rows and columns of photosensitive cells for photoelectrically producing electrical charge carriers in response to an incident light introduced thereonto. Vertical charge-transfer sections are arranged adjacent to the columns of cells, for receiving charge carriers therefrom, and for transferring these carriers toward its outputs, which are coupled with a horizontal charge-transfer section. A charge integration amount control unit is associated with the CCD image sensor such that the controller is coupled to the cell matrix and the vertical transfer sections, for controlling movement of charge carriers from the cell columns to the vertical transfer sections in such a manner that odd-numbered cell rows and even-numbered cell rows are different from each other in the effective amount of charge carriers to be read to the vertical transfer sections as effective signal charge packets.

Abstract: A photographing device includes a camera mounting unit on which a camera is detachably mounted, a light source unit arranged at a predetermined distance from the camera mounting unit, and a table which is arranged between the light source unit and the camera mounting unit, and on which an object is placed. The object placed on the table is illuminated by the light source unit, and can be photographed by the camera.

Abstract: A circuit for controlling the opening and closing of a camcorder iris diaphragm including a luminance signal detector for detecting a luminance signal from an image signal of an object received therein, a buffer for buffering the luminance signal from the luminance signal detector, a signal converter for converting the luminance signal from the buffer into a DC signal having a mean value level of the luminance signal, a differential amplifier for amplifying a level difference between the DC signal from the signal converter and a predetermined reference signal, a motor driver for receiving an output signal from the differential amplifier, as a negative (-) drive voltage signal, and a predetermined motor voltage signal, as a positive (+) drive voltage signal, and applying a level difference therebetween as a motor drive voltage signal to an iris motor, and a clipper connected for blocking the DC signal from the signal converter to the differential amplifier when its level is above a predetermined level and pass

Abstract: An image sensor having an array including a plurality of linearly arranged blocks each consisting of an n number of photodetecting elements, switching elements respectively connected in series to the photodetecting elements, control wires, provided respectively in connection with the blocks, for turning on the switching elements for each block, and signal transfer wires connected to a drive IC for signal detection, whereby charges generated by the photodetecting elements are transferred, every block, to wiring capacitances of the signal transfer wires for signal detection. In the image sensor, the control wires are laid out crossing the signal transfer wires with an interlayer insulating film layered therebetween, and at least one dummy control wire is laid out crossing the signal transfer wires through the interlayer insulating film. A pulse is applied to the dummy control wire before gate pulses are applied to the control wires.

Abstract: A CCD imager designed to combine two consecutive lines of signal charges into a signal line to provide a picture signal according to a television system, such as NTSC with an image sensor having a photosensor array, or another television system, such as HDTV or EDTV. When the NTSC mode is selected by a selector, the vertical shift registers are clocked rapidly so that a vertical scan is repeated twice in each horizontal scanning period to reduce the number of scanning lines in half.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving an image pick-up device having a pulse signal output device which outputs transfer pulses for transferring signal charges accumulated in the light receiving portion of the image pick-up device to vertical transfer portions. The apparatus includes read pulses for reading the signal charges transferred to the vertical transfer portions, sweep pulses for sweeping the signal charges transferred to the vertical transfer portions, and a controller for controlling these pulses. The controller controls the time at which the pulses are outputted. A device may be provided for selectively switching between first and second transfer pulses to be input to the image pick-up device. The first transfer pulses come from the pulse signal output device and the second transfer pulses come from the controller.

Abstract: A video camera specifies as a photometric area any block of a field of image to be picked up and picks up a subject to be seen by optimizing the amount of light regardless of the position where a television camera is located. The video camera comprises a solid-state image pick-up element (CCD), a display device and devices for controlling the diaphragm of a lens. In operation, the image picked up by the solid-state image pick-up element is divided into plural blocks to be displayed. Any block of these plural blocks can be specified as a photometric area. The amount of light for the photometric area is calculated and the diaphragm of the lens is controlled so that the subject can be seen by optimizing amount of light.

Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus having an image pickup device and a shutter speed control circuit for controlling a shutter speed of the image pickup device, the shutter speed control circuit is comprised of a circuit for generating a sensor gate pulse in accordance with a vertical scanning timing so as to output an accumulated charge in the image pickup device, a circuit for generating a saw tooth signal being reset to a predetermined voltage level in accordance with the sensor gate pulse, an inclination of the saw tooth signal in just before reset to the predetermined voltage level being larger than the same in just after reset to the predetermined voltage level, a circuit for comparing a voltage level of an output signal of the image pickup device with the saw tooth signal so as to generate a gate pulse, and a circuit for controlling an accumulating period of the image pickup device in accordance with the gate pulse.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup apparatus of the type from which signal charge can be read out for two lines at a time, wherein the amount of smear is made equal at locations above and below a point light source on a screen and a correcting circuit for such smear amount can be constructed in a simplified structure. In the solid-state image pickup apparatus, in a first field, a vertical transferring section is driven, immediately after signal charge has been read out from light sensitive sections, to transfer the signal charge by a two stage distance. But in a second field, immediately before reading of signal charge from the light sensitive sections, the vertical transferring section is driven to effect transfer by a one stage distance and then driven, immediately after such reading of signal charge, to effect transfer by another one stage distance, whereafter it is driven to effect transfer by a two stage distance upon each transferring operation.