Abstract: A coupling structure is provided in an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material and constituted to couple a first sheet metal and a second sheet metal having an insulative layer on a surface of a metal layer, respectively. The coupling structure includes a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion and a coupling portion. The metal layer of the first conductive portion is exposed by the insulative layer being exfoliated by laser working in the first sheet metal. The metal layer of the second conductive portion is exposed by the insulative layer being exfoliated by laser working in the second sheet metal. The coupling portion couples the first sheet metal and the second sheet metal in a state in which at least a part of the first conductive portion and at least a part of the second conductive portion are contacted with each other.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus including a horizontal distortion correction processing part configured to perform a distortion correction processing in a horizontal direction on an input image depending on a synchronization signal that is supplied, a memory configured to sequentially store results of the distortion correction processing in the horizontal direction by the horizontal distortion correction processing part, and a vertical distortion correction processing part configured to, after starting the distortion correction processing in the horizontal direction by the horizontal distortion correction processing part, sequentially read out the results of the distortion correction processing in the horizontal direction from the memory with a delay of a predetermined time period less than one frame to start a distortion correction processing in a vertical direction.

Abstract: A noise correction circuit that detects and corrects noise included in an image signal output from an image sensor is provided. The noise correction circuit includes a noise determining unit, a noise removing unit, and a random number adding unit. The noise determining unit is configured to calculate an average value of a signal level in a predetermined range of the image signal output from the image sensor and use the calculated average value to calculate a noise component in a predetermined direction. The noise removing unit is configured to remove noise from the image signal output from the image sensor in response to the noise component determined by the noise determining unit. The random number adding unit is configured to add a random number at a level not determined by quantization of the image signal to the image signal after removal of the noise by the noise removing unit.

Abstract: A fixed pattern noise removal circuit is provided for removing vertical streak fixed pattern noise from an output signal of an image sensor including an output system for every predetermined number of columns. The fixed pattern noise removal circuit includes a correction signal output unit configured to output a correction signal corresponding to the output system in accordance with an offset component and a light-intensity-dependent component of the fixed pattern noise occurring in the output system, and a signal correction unit configured to remove the fixed pattern noise from the output signal of the image sensor on the basis of the correction signal output from the correction signal output unit.

Abstract: A streaking correction signal generating circuit includes a light-shield waveform detecting unit configured to detect signal levels of respective lines in a horizontal light shield by using an output signal of the horizontal light shield of an image sensor; a black level detecting unit configured to detect a black level by using an output signal of a vertical light shield of the image sensor; and a subtracting unit configured to subtract the black level detected by the black level detecting unit from each of the signal levels of the respective lines in the horizontal light shield detected by the light-shield waveform detecting unit so as to generate streaking correction signals of the respective lines.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus has an image pickup device, a defect-information-storing unit that stores defect information relative to a defective pixel in the image pickup element, a compensation-signal-generating unit that generates a compensation signal for each defective pixel, first and second compensation units that compensate for the pixel signal relative to the defective pixel indicated by the defect information with and without applying the compensation signal to the pixel signal, and a compensation-switching unit that switches between a first signal compensated by the first compensation unit and a second signal compensated by the second compensation unit based on a comparison result of a signal level of the compensation signal with a signal level of a predetermined compensation-switching reference signal.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device generating image signals of picked up images; a converting unit converting the image signals generated by the image pickup device to digital image signals; a memory storing the image signals obtained by the converting unit; and a memory control unit controlling writing the image signals in the memory and reading the image signals from the memory. The memory control unit assigns bands of the memory in order to simultaneously perform writing image signals in the memory and reading the image signals from the memory for displaying picked up images and/or reading the image signals from the memory for recording picked up images at different frame rates.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus to be used for a solid-state image pickup element having a plurality of output systems that output video signals obtained from pixels arranged in a column direction includes a subtraction unit that subtracts an amended error value for each column from the video signals output from the solid-state image pickup element. The signal processing apparatus also includes an error value computing unit that shields the solid-state image pickup element from light or irradiates light to the solid-state image pickup element at a constant rate, computes a respective average value of each of a plurality of pixel signals obtained from the pixels in a predetermined region of the solid-state image pickup element, subtracts the respective average value from a respective of the plurality of the pixel signals obtained from the pixels of the solid-state image pickup element, and accumulates values obtained by subtractions for respective columns.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a solid-state image pickup element that outputs video signals obtained from pixels arranged in a column direction. The apparatus also includes an amendment unit that amends an error value corresponding to a column position of the video signals according to a temperature to supply an amended error value to a subtraction unit that subtracts the amended error value for each column from the video signals. The apparatus further includes an error computing section that shields the pickup element from light or irradiates light to the pickup element at a constant rate, computes a respective average value of each of a plurality of pixel signals obtained from the pixels in a predetermined region of the pickup element, subtracts the respective average value from a respective of the plurality of pixel signals obtained from the pixels of the pickup element, and accumulates values obtained by subtractions for respective columns.

Abstract: A noise correction circuit that detects and corrects noise included in an image signal output from an image sensor is provided. The noise correction circuit includes a noise determining unit, a noise removing unit, and a random number adding unit. The noise determining unit is configured to calculate an average value of a signal level in a predetermined range of the image signal output from the image sensor and use the calculated average value to calculate a noise component in a predetermined direction. The noise removing unit is configured to remove noise from the image signal output from the image sensor in response to the noise component determined by the noise determining unit. The random number adding unit is configured to add a random number at a level not determined by quantization of the image signal to the image signal after removal of the noise by the noise removing unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pixel compensating circuit, an image taking apparatus employing such pixel compensating circuit, and a method for compensating pixel, wherein a defect pixel existed on an image sensor is effectively compensated. Namely, plural kinds of color information of a defect pixel and adjacent pixels having no defect are stored in a color information holding unit, and a difference calculating unit calculates a difference between color information without defect among color information of the defect pixel and color information of the adjacent pixels. Then, a reference pixel determining unit determines a reference pixel that makes the sum of the absolute values for the differences calculated at the difference calculating unit minimum among adjacent pixels, and a compensating unit compensates defect color information of the defect pixel based on an average value obtained by calculating average value of the differences for the reference pixel.

Abstract: A fixed pattern noise removal circuit is provided for removing vertical streak fixed pattern noise from an output signal of an image sensor including an output system for every predetermined number of columns. The fixed pattern noise removal circuit includes a correction signal output unit configured to output a correction signal corresponding to the output system in accordance with an offset component and a light-intensity-dependent component of the fixed pattern noise occurring in the output system, and a signal correction unit configured to remove the fixed pattern noise from the output signal of the image sensor on the basis of the correction signal output from the correction signal output unit.

Abstract: A streaking correction signal generating circuit includes a light-shield waveform detecting unit configured to detect signal levels of respective lines in a horizontal light shield by using an output signal of the horizontal light shield of an image sensor; a black level detecting unit configured to detect a black level by using an output signal of a vertical light shield of the image sensor; and a subtracting unit configured to subtract the black level detected by the black level detecting unit from each of the signal levels of the respective lines in the horizontal light shield detected by the light-shield waveform detecting unit so as to generate streaking correction signals of the respective lines.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus has an image pickup device, a defect-information-storing unit that stores defect information relative to a defective pixel in the image pickup element, a compensation-signal-generating unit that generates a compensation signal for each defective pixel, first and second compensation units that compensate for the pixel signal relative to the defective pixel indicated by the defect information with and without applying the compensation signal to the pixel signal, and a compensation-switching unit that switches between a first signal compensated by the first compensation unit and a second signal compensated by the second compensation unit based on a comparison result of a signal level of the compensation signal with a signal level of a predetermined compensation-switching reference signal.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and an image processing method permit easy adjustment of luminance and contrast, and also permit easy check of the brightness of a target image. A signal format of an image signal is determined by a determiner circuit, and an image signal of a luminance reference image that provides the standard for determining luminance is generated by a luminance reference signal generator circuit on the basis of a result of the determination. A mixing circuit generates an image signal for displaying a target image combined with a luminance reference image. The signal level of the image signal is adjusted by an adjusting circuit so as to adjust luminance and/or contrast. A discrimination display signal superimposing circuit generates a signal of a luminance identifying image superimposed in a desired luminance area. From the luminance reference image, the brightness at a desired position on an image can be easily checked.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device generating image signals of picked up images; a converting unit converting the image signals generated by the image pickup device to digital image signals; a memory storing the image signals obtained by the converting unit; and a memory control unit controlling writing the image signals in the memory and reading the image signals from the memory. The memory control unit assigns bands of the memory in order to simultaneously perform writing image signals in the memory and reading the image signals from the memory for displaying picked up images and/or reading the image signals from the memory for recording picked up images at different frame rates.

Abstract: A column amplifier system C-MOS image sensor can reliably eliminate vertical stripe noises if there are variances in terms of operational linearity.

Abstract: A column amplifier system C-MOS image sensor can reliably eliminate vertical stripe noises if there are variances in terms of temperature of the column amplifiers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pixel compensating circuit, an image taking apparatus employing such pixel compensating circuit, and a method for compensating pixel, wherein a defect pixel existed on an image sensor is effectively compensated. Namely, plural kinds of color information of a defect pixel and adjacent pixels having no defect are stored in a color information holding unit, and a difference calculating unit calculates a difference between color information without defect among color information of the defect pixel and color information of the adjacent pixels. Then, a reference pixel determining unit determines a reference pixel that makes the sum of the absolute values for the differences calculated at the difference calculating unit minimum among adjacent pixels, and a compensating unit compensates defect color information of the defect pixel based on an average value obtained by calculating average value of the differences for the reference pixel.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and an image processing method permit easy adjustment of luminance and contrast, and also permit easy check of the brightness of a target image. A signal format of an image signal is determined by a determiner circuit, and an image signal of a luminance reference image that provides the standard for determining luminance is generated by a luminance reference signal generator circuit on the basis of a result of the determination. A mixing circuit generates an image signal for displaying a target image combined with a luminance reference image. The signal level of the image signal is adjusted by an adjusting circuit so as to adjust luminance and/or contrast. A discrimination display signal superimposing circuit generates a signal of a luminance identifying image superimposed in a desired luminance area. From the luminance reference image, the brightness at a desired position on an image can be easily checked.