Abstract: A signal processing apparatus for use with an imaging device having an image signal output circuit inherently generating noise in operation so that noise may be superposed on the image signal. The apparatus comprises a noise suppressor having a sampling and holding circuit for producing noise-suppressed pixel signals carrying different color information to contribute to suppression of noise superposed on the image signal and at the same time to demodulation of chroma signals representative of color components of an image and adders for producing a sum of and a difference between the noise-suppressed pixel signals to thereby produce a luminance signal and chroma signals for an image. The apparatus may further comprise a gain control circuits interposed between the sampling and holding circuit and the difference producing adder so that the amplitudes of the noise-suppressed pixel signals are leveled to improve the color purity of an image reproduced from the image signal.

Abstract: This invention relates to a television camera and more particularly to a solid-state television camera using a solid-state image pickup device. The object of the invention is to provide a solid-state television camera which is devoid of drop of dynamic resolution for a moving object and provides high S/N for a still object. The solid-state television camera of this invention is equipped with pixels 3 from which signals are read out with a predetermined signal storage time, means 21 for detecting motion of an object from the signals of the pixels 3, and pixels 4 from which the signals are read out in the signal storage time in accordance with the detection signal of the detection means 21 l and outputting video signals. The present invention can obtain video signals free from the drop of dynamic resolution for a moving picture and video signals having high S/N for a still picture. As a result, the invention can provide a television camera having excellent picture quality as a whole.

Abstract: A signal read-out apparatus for a solid-state imager employing CCDs (charge-coupled devices) and CPDs (charge priming devices) includes a clamp circuit for eliminating reset noise generated in an amplifier provided at the output of the imager. For eliminating thermal noise of high frequency generated in the amplifier and incapable of being eliminated by the clamp circuit, a low-pass filter is provided in precedence to the clamp circuit. The frequency band of the low-pass filter is not higher than 1.5 times the frequency of a clock pulse signal for driving the solid-state imager. In place of providing the low-pass filter as a discrete component, a low-pass filter having the same characteristics may be constituted by a capacitance of the capacitor and ON-resistance of a switch incorporated in the clamp circuit. The capacitance of the capacitor in the clamp circuit is set to a value greater than the input electrostatic capacity of the amplifier.

Abstract: In a solid-state imaging device, a chrominance signal different from a signal to be obtained at a specified time among a plurality of chrominance signals to be successively obtained from a solid-state image sensor is interpolated with the chrominance signal obtained directly before the time of interpolation, or with the chrominance signal of a picture element corresponding to the signal to be obtained at the time of interpolation based upon the subject being achromatic. The particular signal to be used for the interpolation is decided based upon the difference between the signal to be obtained at the time of interpolation and a signal of the same chrominance obtained one cycle before the time of interpolation, or the differences between signals obtained directly before the time of interpolation and to be obtained directly after the time of interpolation and the chrominance signals obtained one cycle before the times of these signals.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a method of reducing the vertical smears which are generated in a solid state image sensor including a plurality of vertical signal lines for transferring signal charges in a vertical direction and at least one charge transfer device for transferring the signal charges in a horizontal direction.The smear charges stored in the vertical signal lines and the signal charges generated in a photoelectric conversion element in response to an incident ray are inputted separately of each other for a horizontal blanking period to the charge transfer device for the horizontal transfer. During a tracing period, a smear voltage and a signal voltage are outputted separately of each other from said charge transfer device. The smear voltage adjusted is subtracted from the signal voltage to eliminate the smear component which has been mixed into the signal voltage.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device is disclosed in which photodiodes are arranged regularly in horizontal and vertical directions and generate signal charges in response to incident light, the signal charge thus obtained and smear charges stored on vertical signal lines are alternately and separately transferred to an output end by a horizontal charge transfer device, each of the smear charges is converted at the output end into a first voltage, the resultant charge of a signal charge following the above smear charge and another kind of smear charge is converted at the output end into a second voltage, a reset operation for the smear charge and resultant charge held at the output end is performed at an interval twice as long as the repetition period of a transfer pulse applied to the horizontal charge transfer device, and at least one of the first and second voltages is attenuated or amplified so that a difference between the first and second voltages thus processed provides an image signal in which any smear compo

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device comprises a number of photodiodes arrayed in horizontal rows and vertical columns, a first output circuit for sequentially reading out signal charges from those photodiodes which are arrayed on odd-numbered horizontal rows, a second output circuit for sequentially reading out signal charges from the photodiodes arrayed on the even-numbered horizontal rows, a synchronizing pulse generator for synchronizing operation of the first and second output circuits, a first subtracting circuit for determining the difference between the output signals of the first and second output circuits in odd-numbered field, and a second subtracting circuit for determining the difference between the output signals of the first and second output circuits in even-numbered field. The outputs of the first and second subtracting circuit are alternately extracted in synchronism with the synchronizing pulse produced by the synchronizing pulse generator.

Abstract: In a solid state imaging device in which two signals on two horizontal scanning lines are read out simultaneously for easy image enhancement, the two signals read from the two horizontal scanning lines are subtracted from each other while they are added together, and the difference signal is added to the sum signal so as to produce a video signal subject to the image enhancement. As a solid state image sensor, a MOS type image sensor as well as a CCD, CID or CC type image sensor may be used.

Abstract: In a solid state color imaging system comprising a two-dimensional array of photoelectric devices, the photoelectric device in one of two adjacent rows are displaced with respect to those in the other row in the horizontal direction by half a horizontal pitch of the photoelectric devices, and the respective color filter elements associated with three photoelectric devices adjacent to one another in the two rows have such spectrum characteristics that the sum of outputs from the three photoelectric devices substantially corresponds to a luminance signal, whereby Moire is suppressed and high quality color pictures are obtained.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a color imaging device which suppresses false color signals appearing in an area where the difference of brightnesses is great in the horizontal or vertical direction.When the correlation between picture elements adjacent in the vertical direction is little and the false signal appears in a boundary part in the vertical direction, the false signal is detected, whereupon a color signal is demodulated by utilizing the correlation between the signals of picture elements in the horizontal direction. On the other hand, when the correlation between picture elements adjacent in the horizontal direction is little and the false signal appears in a boundary part in the horizontal direction, the false signal is detected, whereupon a color signal is demodulated by utilizing the correlation between the signals of picture elements in the vertical direction.As a result, the moire phenomenon attributed to the false color signals can be conspicuously reduced.

Abstract: A color imaging apparatus having a plurality of image pickup tubes which pick up respective optical images of primary colors separated from one optical image includes a registration control circuit which operates to hold a picture of high quality at all times by controlling the registration of the images of the respective image pickup tubes on a real time basis during the operation of the camera. To this end a circuit detects those local image signals which satisfy predetermined requisites which are most favorable for use as reference signals to control the registration and these detected image signals are temporarily stored so as to be used for the registration operation. The most favorable requisites of the local image areas selected for registration control are (1) those having no movement, (2) those having a contour which is sharp and (3) those having a chroma which is low.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus provided with a circuit for taking the maximum one of the three signal currents out of three photoconductive pickup tubes and a circuit for obtaining the difference of the maximum signal current from a current proportional to one of the cathode currents of the three pickup tubes, wherein the voltages at the beam control electrodes of the three pickup tubes are controlled together by the voltage signal corresponding to the difference current so that the resolutions of the pickup tubes are improved and that the scanning beam control circuit is simplified.