Abstract: A video camera includes an image sensor for picking up an image of a subject and outputting a still image or a moving image, an operation accepting portion for accepting an operation by the user, and an image pickup control portion for, in response to the operation accepting portion accepting an operation of giving an instruction to pick up a moving image, controlling the image sensor to pick up an image under a predetermined condition for still images and thereafter allowing the image sensor to pick up an image under a predetermined condition for moving images, and for, in response to the operation accepting portion accepting an operation of giving an instruction to pick up a still image, controlling the image sensor to pick up an image under a predetermined condition for still images.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: a photoelectric transduction portion to transduce an optical image of a subject formed on an image plane through a lens to output an image signal; a movement portion provided between the photoelectric transduction portion and a base to move the photoelectric transduction portion relative to the base; an illumination portion placed at a predetermined position from the base to emit light onto the image plane of the photoelectric transduction portion in a state in which a shutter is closed to block light entering from the lens; a light-blocking portion placed at a predetermined position from the base to interrupt part of light from the illumination portion at between the illumination portion and the image plane; an adjustment image obtaining portion to obtain an image signal output by the photoelectric transduction portion as a result of photoelectric transduction, in a state in which the illumination portion emits light; and a relative position detection portion to detect a r

Abstract: A digital camera includes an imager. An optical image of an object scene is irradiated onto an imaging surface of the imager. When the digital camera is rotated, a CPU starts measuring processing for repetitively measuring a rotation angle, and suppresses a change due to the rotation in a positional relationship between the imaging surface and the optical image on the basis of the result of the measurement. The CPU performs exposure processing on the imager every time that the measurement result and the angle of view of the optical image on the imaging surface satisfy the angular condition, and captures the object scene image generated on the imaging surface in to a memory. The plurality of object scene images thus stored in the memory are combined with each other to thereby produce a single panoramic object scene image.

Abstract: An image recording and reproducing apparatus includes a group management information file creation circuit for, in recording, grouping recorded images at predetermined time intervals and creating, for each group, a group management information file storing group management information including a start time indicating the time when a first recorded image in a group is recorded, an end time indicating the time when a last recorded image in the group is recorded, an address at which index information about the first recorded image in the group is stored, and channel distance information indicating, for each channel, a group interval from a group including a last recorded image of a channel to the current group.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: a photoelectric transduction portion to transduce an optical image of a subject formed on an image plane through a lens to output an image signal; a movement portion provided between the photoelectric transduction portion and a base to move the photoelectric transduction portion relative to the base; an illumination portion placed at a predetermined position from the base to emit light onto the image plane of the photoelectric transduction portion in a state in which a shutter is closed to block light entering from the lens; a light-blocking portion placed at a predetermined position from the base to interrupt part of light from the illumination portion at between the illumination portion and the image plane; an adjustment image obtaining portion to obtain an image signal output by the photoelectric transduction portion as a result of photoelectric transduction, in a state in which the illumination portion emits light; and a relative position detection portion to detect a r

Abstract: A video camera includes an image sensor for picking up an image of a subject and outputting a still image or a moving image, an operation accepting portion for accepting an operation by the user, and an image pickup control portion for, in response to the operation accepting portion accepting an operation of giving an instruction to pick up a moving image, controlling the image sensor to pick up an image under a predetermined condition for still images and thereafter allowing the image sensor to pick up an image under a predetermined condition for moving images, and for, in response to the operation accepting portion accepting an operation of giving an instruction to pick up a still image, controlling the image sensor to pick up an image under a predetermined condition for still images.

Abstract: A serial communication system includes a master processor and a slave processor. A CS signal for requesting a serial communication is output from the master processor, and an OK_INV signal for responding to the CS signal is output from the slave processor. When a CS signal is an active state, the master processor executes a serial communications of a preset number of bits every time that a level of the OK_INV signal is reversed. The slave processor inverts a level of an OK_INV signal in response to the CS signal shifting to the active state. The slave processor changes the level of the OK_INV signal every time that a serial communication of a preset number of bits is completed.

Abstract: In a video reproducing apparatus of the present invention, it is monitored during reproduction whether or not there is a change in recording rate of a reproduced video signal. When there is a change in recording rate, a ratio of a reproducing rate to a recording rate is changed. This can realize a video reproducing apparatus capable of always reproducing the video at an appropriate rate to checking of the video regardless of a change in recording rate.

Abstract: When a moving area and a fixed area are detected on a screen, it is determined whether the detected moving area and the fixed area overlap or not. As a result, when it is determined that an overlap exists, a compound area is set so as to include noticed areas to be overlapped. Next, the set compound area is compressed by taking advantage of an ROI function so as to keep a compression target size of the whole screen. Therefore, this enables to reduce a processing amount of a JPEG 2000 CODEC. In addition, a size and a location of the ROI area are changed so as to include a motion range of the object with movement into the noticed area. As a result, it is capable to progress in a surveillance function, because the motion range of the object with movement is included into the noticed area.

Abstract: A digital camera includes an imager. An optical image of an object scene is irradiated onto an imaging surface of the imager. When the digital camera is rotated, a CPU starts measuring processing for repetitively measuring a rotation angle, and suppresses a change due to the rotation in a positional relationship between the imaging surface and the optical image on the basis of the result of the measurement. The CPU performs exposure processing on the imager every time that the measurement result and the angle of view of the optical image on the imaging surface satisfy the angular condition, and captures the object scene image generated on the imaging surface in to a memory. The plurality of object scene images thus stored in the memory are combined with each other to thereby produce a single panoramic object scene image.

Abstract: A serial communication system includes a master processor and a slave processor. A CS signal for requesting a serial communication is output from the master processor, and an OK_INV signal for responding to the CS signal is output from the slave processor. When a CS signal is an active state, the master processor executes a serial communications of a preset number of bits every time that a level of the OK_INV signal is reversed. The slave processor inverts a level of an OK_INV signal in response to the CS signal shifting to the active state. The slave processor changes the level of the OK_INV signal every time that a serial communication of a preset number of bits is completed.

Abstract: A content processing apparatus includes a clock circuit. The clock circuit counts time with reference to a first start-up time. A flash memory holds a storage period. A recording time based on a time of the clock circuit is embedded in a JPEG file to be recorded in a hard disk. When accepting an instruction to reproduce the JPEG file, a CPU calculates a boundary time based on a current time of the clock circuit and the storage period. Then, if the recording time of the JPEG file is earlier than the boundary time, the CPU disables a reproduction process of the JPEG file by a JPEG codec.

Abstract: During recording, recorded images are grouped such that when a system time at the time of input of an image intended to be recorded this time is later than a recorded time of an image recorded last time, the image that is recorded this time is included in a current recorded image group, and when the system time at the time of input of the image intended to be recorded this time is earlier than the recorded time of the image recorded last time, a new recorded image group is formed from the image that is recorded this time. A group management information file is then created for each group.

Abstract: An image recording and reproducing apparatus includes a group management information file creation circuit for, in recording, grouping recorded images at predetermined time intervals and creating, for each group, a group management information file storing group management information including a start time indicating the time when a first recorded image in a group is recorded, an end time indicating the time when a last recorded image in the group is recorded, an address at which index information about the first recorded image in the group is stored, and channel distance information indicating, for each channel, a group interval from a group including a last recorded image of a channel to the current group.

Abstract: An electric device includes means for performing a current user information setting process for defining current user information as user information on the user assumed to be currently performing operation using a main body operation unit, having a user enter a user name and a password of the user when the user attempts to operate the electric device using the main body operation unit, determining whether or not the inputted password is correct, and setting the user information corresponding to the inputted user name as the current user information only when the inputted password is correct.

Abstract: In a video reproducing apparatus of the present invention, it is monitored during reproduction whether or not there is a change in recording rate of a reproduced video signal. When there is a change in recording rate, a ratio of a reproducing rate to a recording rate is changed. This can realize a video reproducing apparatus capable of always reproducing the video at an appropriate rate to checking of the video regardless of a change in recording rate.

Abstract: An image search apparatus includes a hard disk. A plurality of images photographed by a surveillance camera are recorded on the hard disk with luminance information. When an arbitrary image is selected as a reference image from among the plurality of images recorded on the hard disk, and an arbitrary area of the reference image is designated as a search area, a CPU calculates a difference value of the luminance information of the search area between the reference image and each of other images. Furthermore, the CPU specifies an image in which the calculated difference value exceeds a threshold value from among the other images, and the specified image is displayed on the display.

Abstract: When a moving area and a fixed area are detected on a screen, it is determined whether the detected moving area and the fixed area overlap or not. As a result, when it is determined that an overlap exists, a compound area is set so as to include noticed areas to be overlapped. Next, the set compound area is compressed by taking advantage of an ROI function so as to keep a compression target size of the whole screen. Therefore, this enables to reduce a processing amount of a JPEG 2000 CODEC. In addition, a size and a location of the ROI area are changed so as to include a motion range of the object with movement into the noticed area. As a result, it is capable to progress in a surveillance function, because the motion range of the object with movement is included into the noticed area.

Abstract: An information recording. apparatus comprises pre-recording processing means for circularly recording input images in a nonvolatile memory within a range of areas where a predetermined number of images previously determined can be recorded at the time of the pre-recording processing mode, post-recording processing means for recording input images in order in areas succeeding the area, used for the pre-recording processing in the pre-recording processing mode immediately before the post-recording processing mode, in the nonvolatile memory at the time of the post-recording processing mode, and power restoring processing means for starting, when the power is restored after it is shut off while the pre-recording processing is being performed, post-recording processing in the area succeeding the area used in the pre-recording processing at the time when the power is shut off.

Abstract: A content processing apparatus includes a clock circuit. The clock circuit counts time with reference to a first start-up time. A flash memory holds a storage period. A recording time based on a time of the clock circuit is embedded in a JPEG file to be recorded in a hard disk. When accepting an instruction to reproduce the JPEG file, a CPU calculates a boundary time based on a current time of the clock circuit and the storage period. Then, if the recording time of the JPEG file is earlier than the boundary time, the CPU disables a reproduction process of the JPEG file by a JPEG codec.