Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an imaging device which can enhance an image in comparison with the conventional imaging device, even if the image shows high and low brightness objects in one frame, by improving each of image sections corresponding to the high and low brightness objects. The imaging device (10) comprises an imaging element (11) for outputting at least two image signals including long and short exposure signals different in light exposure from each other, knee process unit (12) for performing knee process on the long exposure signal, signal synthesizing unit (15) for performing the synthesis of the short exposure signal and the long exposure signal processed and received from the knee process unit (12), and knee level changing unit (18) for changing, on the basis of the signal level of the short exposure signal, a knee level defined at a knee point in each frame.

Abstract: An imaging device comprises: an imaging element (1) capable of reading accumulated charges of different exposure times in a predetermined frame period, the imaging element being divided into groups for long-time exposure and short-time exposure; and a timing pulse generator (2) for adjusting read timings of the imaging element (1). A first read timing at which an accumulated charge of long-time exposure is read from the group for long-time exposure and a second read timing at which an accumulated charge of short-time exposure is read from the group for short-time exposure are adjusted separately from each other. This provides an imaging device that can extend the dynamic range according to the degree of contrast between light and shade of a subject.

Abstract: It is an object to provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing program in which motion information detected from an image is used for a different image processing corresponding to image information so that the detected motion information capable of easily synchronizing the image with the motion information to reduce a circuit scale is shared in a signal processing requiring a plurality of motion information. Motion information is detected by a motion detecting portion (102) from an image signal input to an image acquiring portion (101) and an image signal stored in a memory (104), a noise is reduced by a noise reducing portion (103) using the motion information which is detected, a moving object is detected by a motion detector portion (105), and an interlace progressive conversion is carried out in an IP converting portion (106), and furthermore, an image is coded in a coding portion (107).

Abstract: [PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED] It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus capable of obtaining a sharp image having less noise.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an imaging device which can enhance an image in comparison with the conventional imaging device, even if the image shows high and low brightness objects in one frame, by improving each of image sections corresponding to the high and low brightness objects. The imaging device (10) comprises an imaging element (11) for outputting at least two image signals including long and short exposure signals different in light exposure from each other, knee process unit (12) for performing knee process on the long exposure signal, signal synthesizing unit (15) for performing the synthesis of the short exposure signal and the long exposure signal processed and received from the knee process unit (12), and knee level changing unit (18) for changing, on the basis of the signal level of the short exposure signal, a knee level defined at a knee point in each frame.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing device which can reduce time required to eliminate noises in motion pixels, in an image signal processing device using image signals composed of a plurality of frames to enhance a noise eliminating effect.

Abstract: A period for a long-term exposure signal is discriminated from a period for a short-term exposure signal. Based on a discrimination signal, an AGC gain selector switches a set value for the gain and a knee point selector switches a set value for the knee point, thereby independently controlling the gain and the knee point for each of the long-term exposure signal and the short-term exposure signal.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a CCD for accumulating an image signal by an n-times long-time-accumulation (n is an integer of “1” or more); a timing control circuit for controlling to read out the image signal accumulated in the CCD according to the n-times long-time-accumulation; a memory for storing the read-out image signal for one frame period or more; and a recursive noise reduction circuit for performing a noise reduction process on the basis of the image signal read out from the CCD and the one-frame-period-or-more delayed image signal read out from the memory. In case of the 2n-times long-time-accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the CCD, the image signal from the recursive noise reduction circuit is written to the memory.

Abstract: In an imaging apparatus, at least one picture division signal is generated. Every picture represented by a video signal is divided into at least first and second areas in response to the picture division signal. Detection is made as to a mean luminance of the first area and a mean luminance of the second area. A flicker in the first area is corrected to derive a first correction-resultant area in response to the mean luminance of the first area. A flicker in the second area is corrected to derive a second correction-resultant area in response to the mean luminance of the second area. The first correction-resultant area and the second correction-resultant area are combined into a correction-resultant picture.

Abstract: An interframe difference signal is generated from the video signal and its one-frame delayed video signal. A filter removes a carrier color signal from the interframe difference signal to output the interframe difference luminance signal. A first motion judging circuit judges a motion in the video signal at a target pixel from the interframe difference luminance signal to output a first motion judging result in accordance with a first edge detection signal. A second motion judging circuit judges a motion in the video signal at the target pixel from a luminance signal and the carrier signal in the interframe difference signal to output a second motion judging result in accordance with a second edge detection circuit. The first and second motion judging results are combined. A majority determining circuit determines majority of the combined result from adjacent Q pixels in accordance with a third edge detection signal.

Abstract: A period for a long-term exposure signal is discriminated from a period for a short-term exposure signal. Based on a discrimination signal, an AGC gain selector switches a set value for the gain and a knee point selector switches a set value for the knee point, thereby independently controlling the gain and the knee point for each of the long-term exposure signal and the short-term exposure signal.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus including an imaging device, an iris control circuit, and a gradation compensation circuit is disclosed with the iris control circuit operated with a priority to the gradation compensation circuit. That is, during generating the gradation control data for gradation compensation circuit, if the iris controlling is required, generating the gradation control data is stopped. Generating the gradation control data is started after completion of the iris controlling.

Abstract: In an imaging apparatus, a signal obtained through a long exposed signal and a shortly exposed signal are synthesized into a luminance signals, a color difference (CD) signal R−G and a CD signal B−G to yield a video signal. The shortly exposed signal has been modulated by one of four colors. The magnitude of each pixel value in the shortly exposed signal is multiplied by one of four gains (prepared for the four colors) associated with the modulation color. The magnitudes of colors, e.g., R and B are multiplied by first and second gains, respectively. The microcontroller provides, for each field, a long/short mode signal. In each field of the short mode, the controller finds the four gains such that at least one of averages of the first and second CD signals converges on a predetermined target value (e.g., 0). In each field of the long mode, the controller finds the first and second gains such that said at least one of said averages converges on the value.

Abstract: A synthesized picture signal of a dynamic image is produced by combining a long-time picture signal representing a low luminance and a short-time picture signal representing a high luminance, pieces of histogram data corresponding to a plurality of luminance levels are detected from the synthesized picture signal, a sum of values of pieces of histogram data is repeatedly calculated as a summed value of a piece of summed histogram data while the number of pieces of histogram data is increased, and an inclination of a line indicated by a series of summed values is detected as a luminance gradation characteristic.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus including an imaging device, an iris control circuit, and a gradation compensation circuit is disclosed with the iris control circuit operated with a priority to the gradation compensation circuit. That is, during generating the gradation control data for gradation compensation circuit, if the iris controlling is required, generating the gradation control data is stopped. Generating the gradation control data is started after completion of the iris controlling.

Abstract: An input image is divided into relatively small blocks of pixels. Border data defining the areas are periodically calculated. For each pixel, a pair of selection pulses indicative of the area where the pixel is located is generated. In response to the pair of pulses, the gray scale characteristic is calculated for each area. The gray scale of the input image is corrected using one of the gray scale characteristic associated with each area to providing a corrected image signal for the area. In response to the pair of pulses, the corrected image signals are combined into an output image signal. An optimal gray scale correction is made for each area. The selection pulses are configured to gradually change near the borders thereby making the reproduced image appear natural.

Abstract: A private branch exchange system having a call forward busy function wherein, when a busy incoming-call destination terminal receives a further incoming call, the further incoming call is informed to both of the busy incoming-call destination terminal and a forwarding destination terminal previously set for the busy incoming-call destination terminal. Since a response opportunity to the further incoming call is provided even when the initially-intended incoming-call destination terminal is busy, the response opportunity of the busy incoming-call destination terminal and the forwarding destination terminal to the incoming call can be increased and therefore an incoming-call response rate of the entire system based on the call forward busy function can be increased.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium improved in electromagnetic conversion characteristics and runnability is disclosed. The magnetic recording medium is formed by coating a non-magnetic substrate with a magnetic layer. The magnetic layer contains a fine ferromagnetic powder having a specific surface area larger than 45 m.sup.2 /g, a binder having polar groups such as --SO.sub.3 M and --OSO.sub.3 M in the molecule in an amount of 0.2 to 0.8 .mu.mol per m.sup.2 of the specific surface area of the ferromagnetic powder, and a compound having 2 or more carboxylic groups in an amount of 0.5 to 5.0 .mu.mol per m.sup.2 of the specific surrface of the ferromagnetic powder. The magnetic layer is further incorporated with a carbon powder having a mean diameter of 200 to 400 nm and a specific surface area of 5 to 20 m.sup.2 /g to improve the runnability of the magnetic recording medium while keeping the improved magnetic characteristics.