Abstract: An apparatus of the invention is capable of shifting a transducer, such as a head for erasing reproducing and recording information on a track formed on a recording medium, with fine positioning accuracy and high access speed. Further, the apparatus is capable of entirely erasing information to be erased on the medium by shifting the transducer with a desired degree while the transducer is excited for erasing operation. In the apparatus, a motion converting means, such as a disc cam or a helically grooved cylindrical cam, is employed for converting a primary rotating motion to a secondary stepwise motion so as to shift the transducer, presenting substantial dead band characteristics for the shifting motion. Further, a control means is employed for shifting the transducer over an area covering an information recorded track and the portions adjacent thereto to execute the erasing operation for an extended area along the track to be erased.

Abstract: An apparatus of the invention is capable of shifting a transducer, such as a head for erasing, reproducing and recording information on a track formed on a recording medium, with fine positioning accuracy and high access speed. Further, the apparatus is capable of entirely erasing information to be erased on the medium by shifting the transducer with a desired degree while the transducer is excited for erasing operation. In the apparatus, a motion converting means, such as a disc cam or a helically grooved cylindrical cam, is employed for converting a primary rotating motion to a secondary stepwise motion so as to shift the transducer, presenting substantial dead band characteristics for the shifting motion. Further, a control means is employed for shifting the transducer over an area covering an information recorded track and the portions adjacent thereto to execute the erasing operation for an extended area along the track to be erased.

Abstract: An electronic camera includes three detachable units, a photographing unit, a record/play-back unit and a picture monitor unit. The photographing unit converts an output signal from a camera into a luminance signal and color difference signals. The record/play-back unit records an output signal from the photographing unit on a disk and is capable of reading a signal previously recorded on a disk. The picture monitor unit displays a picture responsive to a signal from the photographing unit or a signal from the record/play-back unit. The aforesaid units are provided with arrays of terminals electrically connected to electrical devices within their unit. A group of unique connectors establish electrical connections between the terminals of two of the one units. The connectors are designed to be coupled between any one of the associated arrays of terminals. One type of connector provides direct electrical connections between terminals of the associated arrays.

Abstract: An assembly for accessing information recording tracks of an information storage medium comprises a transducer for recording and/or reproducing information; a transducer support carriage for advancing the transducer; a driving force generator for producing a driving force to shift the carriage; and motion converting means for converting an input motion from the driving force generating means to an output motion to be transmitted to the carriage. The motion converting means includes a cam with a spiraling peripheral surface having a plurality of fine step pitch shifting regions for precise tracking control and at least one rough pitch shifting region for shifting the transducer quickly from track to track on the recording medium.

Abstract: A detachable unit electronic camera includes three detachable units, namely, a photographing unit, a record/playback unit and a picture monitor unit. The photographing unit has the function to convert an output signal from a camera into a luminance signal and color difference signals. The record/playback unit has the function of magnetically recording an output signal from the photographing unit on a magnetic disc and also the function of reading a signal which is previously recorded on the magnetic disc. The picture monitor unit has the function of displaying a picture in response to an output signal from the photograping unit or a signal which is reproduced from the record/playback unit. record/playback unit includes switches for selectively coupling external dubbing signals to the magnetic disc or for coupling signals from the record/playback unit to a detachably mounted dubbing unit including a recording medium which may receive dubbing signals from the record/playback unit.

Abstract: A detachable unit electronic camera includes three detachable units, namely, a photographing unit, a record/playback unit and a picture monitor unit. The photographing unit has the function to convert an output signal from a camera into a luminance signal and color difference signals. The record/playback unit has the function of magnetically recording an output signal from the photographing unit on a magnetic disc and also the function of reading a signal which is previously recorded on the magnetic disc. The picture monitor unit has the function of displaying a picture in response to an output signal from the photographing unit or a signal which is reproduced from the record/playback unit.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting focus condition of an imaging optical system is disclosed.

Abstract: An exposure control device for an electronic photographing apparatus comprises a gate circuit, which can transfer a transfer gate driving signal to a transfer gate in synchronism to the horizontal vertical synchronization control of said solid state image sensor, and a shutter driving circuit, which can operate a shutter in synchronism with a transfer gate driving signal first generated after the appearance of a shutter release signal. While the shutter is open, the gate circuit inhibits the transfer gate driving signal.

Abstract: A focus indicator for a TV camera includes a first image sensor and a video processor which convert an object image to a first video signal, an optical system for exit pupil dividing part of the object image to prepare a split image, and a second image sensor for converting the split image to a second video signal. A composing circuit generates a composite video signal from the first and second video signals in such a way as to include the split image component, and a viewfinder displays an image including the split image. A user of the TV camera thus can perform focusing by observing the split image in the viewfinder.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting focus condition of an imaging optical system is disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting focus conditions of an imaging optical system is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a light flux dividing means having a plurality of light flux dividing elements arranged at a predetermined focal plane or near a plane conjugated therewith, a photoelectric conversion means having a plurality of light receiving elements arranged to receive light fluxes divided by respective light flux dividing elements in line therewith and means for detecting focus conditions of the imaging optical system based on the outputs of the light receiving elements. The photoelectronic conversion means is so arranged that the cross-section of light fluxes incident upon respective light receiving elements at the exit pupil of the imaging optical system includes regions which are not overlapped with each other.

Abstract: In order to effect an automatic focus control in an image pick-up apparatus, a photography lens for forming an image of the object onto a two-dimensional solid state image sensing device is arranged in a fixed position, while the two-dimensional solid state image sensing device is arranged movably in the optical axis direction of the photography lens, and the image sensing device is moved in accordance with a focusing error signal detected by a focusing condition detecting circuit having an additional light receiving element mounted on the same substrate as the image sensor but discrete from and operating independently of the image sensor. Since the light and small solid state image sensing device is moved for the focus control instead of the heavy and large photography lens, it is possible to perform the focus control in a prompt manner and to make a mechanism for driving the image sensing device small and simple.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting focus conditions of a photographic optical system is disclosed. The invention comprises a member for dividing the wavefront of a light beam from a photographic optical system in an image space thereof, a first light receiving device including two photocell arrays provided in the front and the rear of a surface conjugated to a predetermined focal plane of the optical system, and a second light receiving device including at least one photocell array provided at a surface conjugated to one of the photocell arrays in the first light receiving device. A first signal representing horizontal shift of an optical image is detected based on outputs of at least one photocell array in the second light receiving device and one photocell array in the first light receiving device having a relation conjugated to the photocell array in the second light receiving device.

Abstract: In a camera, a focus condition of an objective lens system is automatically detected in accordance with a combination of two different type detection methods. A light flux emanating from the objective lens system is divided into two light fluxes by means of a prism having a half mirror and a reflecting mirror and a first light flux transmitted through the half mirror is received by a first light receiving element array via a lenticular lens array and a second light flux reflected by the half mirror and reflecting mirror successively is directly received by a second light receiving element array. The lenticular lens array is so arranged that an exit pupil of the objective lens and the first light receiving element array are conjugated with each other and thus divided images of the exit pupil are projected upon respective elements of each pair of adjacent light receiving elements.

Abstract: A solid state image sensor comprises an image sensing matrix comprised of a number of photoelectric elements arranged in a matrix array and a scanning circuit for two-dimensionally scanning the image sensing matrix by scanning signals to extract image signals. Picture element selection circuits are connected to horizontal and vertical lines of the image sensing matrix to pick up the output signals of photoelectric elements as photometric signals.

Abstract: A method of detecting focusing conditions used for optical machinery is disclosed. The focusing conditions of an optical image projected onto photodetector arrays arranged on both sides of the focal plane with a certain optical distance are detected based on an evaluation function representing a sum of absolute values of differences between output signals of adjacent photodetectors. When a value of a first evaluation function represented by the largest absolute value is less than a predetermined threshold a second evaluation function represented by a sum of the maximum and next largest absolute values is used thereby detecting the focusing conditions for a graded image.

Abstract: A SIT (Static Induction Transistor) image sensor with a high-sensitivity and a high-fidelity is disclosed. The image sensor comprises a SIT image cell array and a scanning circuit which scans in turn a plurality of SIT image cells in such a manner that respective scanning time in all the cells are equal throughout a sequential scanning operation for the SIT image sensor. A reading line and a refreshing line may be combined into a single line. A differential amplifier is provided for correcting a picture element information to remove a noise component therefrom.

Abstract: In an analog-digital converting apparatus including a row of light receiving units with each unit having a light receiving element and a sample-hold circuit, a counter for producing a digital signal whose value is increased successively, a digital-analog converter for receiving the digital signal and producing an analog reference signal whose amplitude increases successively from a lower limit value to an upper limit value in step-shaped manner, comparators for comparing the output signals of the light receiving units with said analog reference signal, respectively, memories for receiving the digital signal and controlled by the comparators, respectively to store instantaneous digital values when the corresponding comparators change their states, there is provided a second light receiving unit having substantially the same construction as that of the first mentioned light receiving unit except that a light receiving element provided therein is covered with a light shielding mask so as to produce an output equ

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for detecting focus condition of an imaging optical system, the focus condition is detected in accordance with a combination of two different detection methods such as an image sharpness detection and an image lateral shift detection by using first and second light receiving element arrays for the image sharpness detection and a third light receiving element array for the image lateral shift detection. For making the construction of the apparatus compact and simple, these light receiving element arrays are formed on the same semiconductor substrate. Further a light flux dividing prism and a lenticular lens array are formed integrally with each other. According to the focus detection method of the present invention, it is possible to detect the focus condition for various kinds of subjects accurately over a wide range by using both the image sharpness detection and image lateral shift detection even in a range near an in-focus position.

Abstract: In a single-lens reflex camera having an objective lens, a focusing screen and a view finder, a photodetector array is arranged to receive a central part of an object image formed by the objective lens and a focusing condition of the objective lens is detected by calculating an evaluation function from image signals supplied from the photodetectors. A presetting dial for selecting given photodetectors whose image signals are used for detecting the focusing condition is provided at such a position that a part of the dial is exposed to the outside through an opening formed in a rear wall of a camera body at a position underneath a film winding lever. A light emitting diode array is provided on the focusing screen so as to be seen by a user through the view finder. Only desired light emitting diodes are lighted on under the control of a signal supplied by the dial to indicate the region of the photodetector array which is used for detecting the focusing condition.