Abstract: In a video signal processing apparatus provided with an image pickup part for picking up an image of an object and outputting a video signal and a reproducing part for reproducing a video signal from a recording medium, a video signal which is obtained by picking up the image of the object and a video signal which is obtained by reproducing a video signal from the recording medium are arranged to be selectively supplied to one and the same digital signal processing part. This arrangement simplifies the structural arrangement of the apparatus and yet ensures high-quality reproduction of the video signal.

Abstract: A system comprising a recording apparatus including an audio input portion and a recording portion capable of recording an audio signal from the audio input portion on a recording medium, and an audio memory unit detachably attached to the recording apparatus, wherein the memory unit includes a memory capable of storing the audio signal from the audio input portion, and the recording apparatus is arranged to record also the audio signal read out from the memory on the recording medium by the recording portion, thereby making it possible to record a wide variety of audio signals of different kinds on the recording medium in desired timing. Also, this memory unit is utilized to make it possible that in application to the apparatus for recording video signals and audio signals in superimposed relation, the video signal is rewritten only in itself.

Abstract: To obtain an image pickup apparatus capable of reducing the influence of noise, an image of an object is photographed by a CCD through an image pickup optical system. The CCD output is converted into a digital signal by sequentially processing it by a sample-and-hold circuit, a variable gain amplifier, and an A/D converter, in a digitization circuit which is formed into an IC. This digital signal is applied to a digital processing circuit on an IC different from the IC of the digitization circuit. There the digital signal is converted into a digital video signal of a predetermined format. With this arrangement, the processing in the digitization circuit is done without being influenced by noise generated by the subsequent digital processing circuit.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus is formed on a single semiconductor substrate and includes in a mixed relation an analog signal processing section and a digital signal processing section. A plurality of buffers are included on the substrate to buffer the respective sections from one another for preventing abnormalities such as circuit malfunctions, circuit failures, noise and excess current flow between the respective sections at power-on. The buffers are of different types according to the abnormality they are designed to prevent.

Abstract: A CCD converts an optical image of an object formed on its image sensing surface into electrical charges, and sequentially outputs the electrical charges of all of the light receiving pixels in one scanning operation in non-interlaced form. The outputs from the CCD are converted to the digital image signals by an analog-digital converter. A camera signal processing unit processes the digital image signals, thereby generating two streams of signals; one is digital video signals SV1 which are standard digital video signals in interlaced form, and the other is signals SV2 which are not outputted as the digital video signals SV1 out of the digital image signals of all of the light receiving pixels. These two streams of signals, SV1 and SV2, are processed differently depending upon a mode selected by a switch.

Abstract: A signal processing system comprises a signal processing device which includes a connector and a plurality of kinds of external storage devices which are arranged to store respective different kinds of information signals. In this system, the plurality of kinds of external storage devices are selectively connectable to the signal processing device through the connector, the information signal is transmissable to the signal processing device through the connector from the external storage device connected to the signal processing device, and the signal processing device further includes a detecting circuit which is arranged to detect via the connector the kind of the external storage device connected to the signal processing device. The system thus allows the external storage devices having information of varied kinds to be connected through one and the same connector. Therefore, information of diverse kinds can be formed and processed without necessitating any complex system arrangement.

Abstract: An image pick-up device comprises an image pick-up optical system for focusing an optical image of an object, an image pick-up element having a predetermined number of pixels for photo-electrically converting the optical image focused by the image pick-up optical system to produce an image pick-up signal, a signal processing circuit for processing the image pick-up signal from the image pick-up element to generate image data, a first memory for storing the image data from the signal processing circuit by image unit, a second memory having a size capable of storing larger image information than the number of pixels of the image pick-up element for storing the image data read from the first memory, a motion detection circuit for detecting a motion of the image pick-up optical system, and a memory control circuit for controlling the reading from the first memory and the writing to the second memory based on the detection by the motion detection circuit.

Abstract: The image sensing device adapted to compose an appropriate single picture from a plurality of pictures of different exposures obtained from the same subject, wherein the camera operation is controlled using as a reference the signal of one of said plurality of pictures of different exposures.

Abstract: In order to achieve a digital video camera apparatus which decreases the number of components and facilitates connection with a digital VTR, a luminance signal Y and a color signal C input from external input terminals (110, 118) are converted into digital signals by A/D converters (136, 138) by sampling these signals respectively at the sampling frequency of a digital recording/reproduction device (113) and a frequency four times the subcarrier frequency, the digital signals are selected by selectors (135, 137) together with signals Y and C from a digital signal processing circuit (106), and the selected signals are supplied to the digital signal recording/reproduction device (113). Color-difference signals are supplied after their frequency is converted into the sampling frequency of the digital signal recording/reproduction device (113) by frequency converters (139a, 139b).

Abstract: A video signal processing apparatus comprises an image pickup part arranged to photo-electrically convert an optically formed image and to output it as an electrical signal, an external input part which permits external input of a video signal, and a signal processing part which has a delay circuit. The signal processing part forms a color video signal from the electrical signal outputted from the image pickup part and separates the video signal inputted from the external input part into luminance and chrominance signals by using the delay circuit.

Abstract: There is provided a novel and improved image pickup apparatus which can be reduced in size and low power consumption because of its reduced circuit scale and in which no degradation of image quality occurs at the switching points between a plurality of functions. Such an image pickup apparatus comprises a non-linear circuit for performing non-linear correction of a digitized video signal, and the non-linear circuit includes a multiplier having an input terminal formed by input bits the number of which is n.sub.1, n.sub.1, being selected to meet a relationship of n.sub.3 >n.sub.1, where n.sub.3 represents the number of input bits of the non-linear circuit. The non-linear circuit also has predetermined input ranges R.sub.i each of which is selected to be R.sub.i .ltoreq.2.sup.n1 -1, and is formed by a combination of characteristics of the respective predetermined input ranges R.sub.i.

Abstract: A video signal recording apparatus selectively reads information stored in a plurality of external storage devices through a plurality of connecting parts and records the read information together with a video signal on a recording medium. A video camera selectively reads information stored in a plurality of external storage devices through a plurality of connecting parts and simultaneously records the read information and a video signal according to subject light on a recording medium. In accordance with the video signal recording apparatus and the video camera, a variety of video signals can be recorded and a variety of photography can be performed.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for recording an information signal on a recording medium is arranged to be controlled according to control information read out from an external storage device which is attachable and detachable to and from the recording apparatus, so that the apparatus is not only simply operable but also has diverse functions. One of the features of the apparatus lies in that the timing of start or stop of recording can be synchronized with that of a signal combining action or a signal fade-in or fade-out action.

Abstract: In the image signal processing apparatus in this invention, control is carried out in such a manner that an enlarged image signal based on an image signal stored in a memory is produced a predetermined period of time after the image signal was written into the memory, a blanking signal is generated at a predetermined period of time after a further blanking signal included in the image signal applied into the memory occurs, so that during the blanking period occurring in the image signal, the blanking signal is produced, and during periods outside this blanking period, the output is changed over for the enlarged image signal produced from the memory so that the image signal may be enlarged in a stable manner, and the construction and work involved in circuit adjustment may be simple.

Abstract: In an image pickup device for generating a corrected luminance signal by subtracting two color difference signals as correction signals from a luminance signal, a correction signal is generated by base-clipping at least one of the two color difference signals.

Abstract: For obtaining both still and moving images in satisfactory manner in an image pickup device, in addition to a circuit for generating a moving image, frame recursive filters 18, 19, 20 and an interface circuit 21 are provided for generating a still image. Wide-band color signals R, G, B generated from the signals obtained from the CCD are subjected to a filtering process in the frame recursive filters 18, 19, 20 and the image retained in the filters 18, 19, 20 as a result of the filtering process is released as a still image under the control by the interface circuit 21. Thus the still and moving images can be generated respectively according to the required characteristics, without color blotting or color aberration and without deterioration in the color reproducibility and in the S/N ratio.

Abstract: An image sensing recording apparatus has a digital modulator for modulating a digital video signal (color-difference signal), a digital recording unit for digitally recording the digital video signal, and a clock supply unit for supplying a first clock signal on the basis of which modulation is performed by the digital modulator and a second clock signal on the basis of which recording is performed by the digital recording unit. The first and second clock signals have the same frequency.

Abstract: A low-cost A/D converting apparatus having a high precision includes a first A/D converter to which an analog input signal is applied as an input, a plurality of D/A converters to which an output from the first A/D converter is applied as an input, a subtractor for subtracting at least one output of outputs of the plurality of D/A converters from the analog input signal, and a second A/D converter, to which an output from the subtractor is applied as an input, having a resolution higher than a resolution of the first A/D converter.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving a solid-state image sensor includes a sensor portion for performing a photoelectric conversion, a vertical transfer register for reading information from the sensor portion, a memory for storing information from the vertical transfer register, and an eliminating unit for eliminating information from the sensor portion, wherein the information in the sensor portion is eliminated by the eliminating unit intermittently two or more times in one field interval, whereby information storage time is controlled. In one field interval, operation of the eliminating unit is performed successively every time T.sub.2 after time T.sub.1 from a vertical synchronizing signal, the information from the sensor portion is read in the vertical shift register successively, at every operation of the eliminating unit, a time T.sub.3 after the end of this operation, and the first time T.sub.1, second time T.sub.2 and third time T.sub.

Abstract: An image pickup device comprises variable gain control circuits 11-13 and 23-25 for respective channels of digital color signals and luminance signals to control the gains by a gain control signal SG. Since the gains are variable in the digital signal channels, the deterioration of the image quality is reduced. The number of input bits of the variable gain control circuits is larger than the number of output bits to minimize the deterioration of the signal due to the loss of digits in coefficient circuits in the variable gain control circuits.