Abstract: An automatic exposure (“AE”), control apparatus to prevent exposure errors resulting from “smear.” Image-capturing is performed at a single exposure time TI (I=1, 2, . . . n); a CCD output is applied with a CCD drive signal to perform an integrating operation for a signal in an AE area using an integration circuit, and then outputs integration value EI+SI at each exposure time. A shutter trigger operation presents readout of an exposure value. An integrator value En+Sn obtained just before the shutter trigger operation, and a smear value Sn? obtained just after the shutter trigger operation are provided to an exposure operation/control circuit. The exposure operation/control circuit then performs an AE operation to receive En+Sn?Sn?En and compares the value to a target value for determining exposure conditions, and provides an AE operation value containing almost no smear component to determine an appropriate exposure condition.

Abstract: A plurality of pixel sets each of 16 pixels are vertically provided successively one after another. A vertical transfer path 2 has two groups a and b of transfer electrodes 1a, 1b to 16a, 16b. Two like sequence transfer electrodes in the two electrode groups are provided for each of the pixels in each set. Each pixel is connected via a shift gate 3 to each transfer channel corresponding to each of the transfer electrodes in the electrode group a. To the transfer electrodes in the electrode group a, independent shift/transfer pulse application lead lines 4A are connected for applying independent gate pulses to the individual shift gates in addition to transfer pulses. Common lead lines are connected to the transfer electrodes 2a and 4a, 5a and 7a, 10a, 12a, and 13a and 15a. Transfer pulse application lead lines 4B are connected to the transfer electrodes in the electrode group b. Thus, a CCD imaging device is constructed, which is capable of performing a desired read-out operation by 4-phase driving.

Abstract: A plurality of pixel sets, each having 16 pixels are vertically provided successively one after another. A vertical transfer path 2 has two groups a and b of transfer electrodes 1a, 1b to 16a, 16b. Two like sequence transfer electrodes in the two electrode groups are provided for each of the pixels in each set. Each pixel is connected via a shift gate 3 to each transfer channel corresponding to each of the transfer electrodes in the electrode group a. To the transfer electrodes in the electrode group a, independent shift/transfer pulse application lead lines 4A are connected for applying independent gate pulses to the individual shift gates in addition to transfer pulses. Common lead lines are connected to the transfer electrodes 2a and 4a, 5a and 7a, 10a, 12a, and 13a and 15a. Transfer pulse application lead lines 4B are connected to the transfer electrodes in the electrode group b. Thus, a CCD imaging device is constructed, which is capable of performing a desired read-out operation by 4-phase driving.

Abstract: An automatic exposure (“AE”), control apparatus to prevent exposure errors resulting from “smear.” Image-capturing is performed at a single exposure time TI (I=1, 2, . . . n); a CCD output is applied with a CCD drive signal to perform an integrating operation for a signal in an AE area using an integration circuit, and then outputs integration value EI+SI at each exposure time. A shutter trigger operation presents readout of an exposure value. An integrator value En+Sn obtained just before the shutter trigger operation, and a smear value Sn? obtained just after the shutter trigger operation are provided to an exposure operation/control circuit. The exposure operation/control circuit then performs an AE operation to receive En+Sn?Sn?En and compares the value to a target value for determining exposure conditions, and provides an AE operation value containing almost no smear component to determine an appropriate exposure condition.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus including: CCD image pickup device; a correction reference signal generating section for generating a correction reference signal for correcting effective image signals of the image pickup device from output signals of a vertical optical black pixel portion of the image pickup device; an image signal correcting section for subtracting the correction reference signal from an effective image signal; and CCD driver having a plurality of drive modes for driving the image pickup device to read pixel charges as output signals; wherein, when generating the reference signal, said correction reference signal generating section performs different types of reference signal generation processing corresponding to the plurality of drive modes of the CCD driver.

Abstract: An electronic camera of the present invention includes a CCD, a diaphragm, an EEPROM, and a CPU. The CCD has a condenser micro-lens opposed to a light receptor. The diameter of the diaphragm is variable in relation to a plurality of f-numbers. In the EEPROM, data items of outputs of the CCD associated with the plurality of f-numbers or ratios of the outputs are stored in advance. The CPU calculates an exposure time according to an output of the CCD associated with a given f-number, controls exposure, and corrects an exposure time according to data stored in the EEPROM during recording.

Abstract: In an automatic exposure control apparatus, image-capturing is performed at a double exposure time TI (I=1, 2, . . . ) and a single exposure time; a CCD output therein produced is applied with a CCD drive signal to perform an integrating operation for a signal in an AE area by using an integration circuit, and then outputs integration values 2EI+SI and EI′+SI′ to an exposure operation/control circuit; and the exposure operation/control circuit then performs an AE operation to receive 2EI+SI−(EI′+SI′)≈EI and compares the value to a target value for determining exposure conditions, and upon receipt of a shutter trigger, it uses an AE operation value containing almost no smear component to determine an appropriate exposure condition even in actual image-recording. According to the apparatus herein stated, exposure errors resulting from smears can be prevented.

Abstract: An automatic exposure (“AE”), control apparatus to prevent exposure errors resulting from “smear.” Image-capturing is performed at a single exposure time TI (I=1, 2, . . . n); a CCD output is applied with a CCD drive signal to perform an integrating operation for a signal in an AE area using an integration circuit, and then outputs integration value EI+SI at each exposure time. A shutter trigger operation presents readout of an exposure value. An integrator value En+Sn obtained just before the shutter trigger operation, and a smear value Sn′ obtained just after the shutter trigger operation are provided to an exposure operation/control circuit. The exposure operation/control circuit then performs an AE operation to receive En+Sn−Sn≈En and compares the value to a target value for determining exposure conditions, and provides an AE operation value containing almost no smear component to determine an appropriate exposure condition.

Abstract: An automatic exposure (“AE”), control apparatus to prevent exposure errors resulting from “smear.” Image-capturing is performed at a single exposure time TI (I=1, 2, . . . n); a CCD output is applied with a CCD drive signal to perform an integrating operation for a signal in an AE area using an integration circuit, and then outputs integration value EI+SI at each exposure time. A shutter trigger operation presents readout of an exposure value. An integrator value En+Sn obtained just before the shutter trigger operation, and a smear value Sn′ obtained just after the shutter trigger operation are provided to an exposure operation/control circuit. The exposure operation/control circuit then performs an AE operation to receive En+Sn−Sn≈En and compares the value to a target value for determining exposure conditions, and provides an AE operation value containing almost no smear component to determine an appropriate exposure condition.