Abstract: An electronic still camera includes a digital signal processor, a digital signal processor program memory in which a digital signal program is rewritably maintained, and a communication circuit for reading external digital signal processor program data into the digital signal processor program memory. By replacing the digital signal processor program with the external digital signal processor program data, the digital processor program can be readily changed by rewriting it electrically from an external source, without having to replace or otherwise make changes to internal devices of the camera.

Abstract: A pattern recognition system is disclosed that uses a predetermined minimal number of comparison pixels in a pattern recognition process for input image recognition. For each pixel within a prescribed frame, a probability of the existence of a reference pattern is calculated by a probability calculation means. These probability values are used by a entropy calculation means to calculate pixel entropy values. Pixels with a high entropy value are then extracted and designated as comparison pixels for the pattern recognition operation. Comparison means compares these comparison pixels with corresponding pixels of an image pattern, and determines which of the reference patterns has a highest probability of being the image pattern.

Abstract: A document edge detection apparatus that can detect document edges at high speed with good stability and precision, even when the documents have relatively large damaged portions, creases or smears, or have been scanned with a large skew angle.

Abstract: A pattern recognition apparatus is disclosed that is capable of high-speed, automatic recognition of input image patterns with a high degree of accuracy and which also has a broad range of operational tolerance to shifts in the position of input image patterns. The pixel data of an input image are compared by separate circuits with pixel data of reference image patterns. Other circuits use these comparisons to select that one of the reference patterns to which the input image corresponds.

Abstract: A pattern recognition apparatus is capable of high-speed, automatic recognition of input images with a high degree of accuracy. The apparatus has an extended range of tolerance to shifts in the relative position of the input images and provides insensible regions about reference patterns which are shifted horizontally.

Abstract: A spatial frequency filter is adapted to an image sensor having a two-dimensional spatial frequency plane whose first quadrant includes a first prescribed point, whose second quadrant includes a second prescribed point, whose third quadrant includes a third prescribed point and whose fourth quadrant includes a fourth prescribed point. The two-dimensional spatial frequency plane has a vertical axis and a horizontal axis. The spatial frequency filter includes the combination of a primary filter part for providing a first trap line passing through the first prescribed point and a second trap line passing through the third prescribed point, a secondary filter part for providing a third trap line passing through the second prescribed point and a fourth trap line passing through the fourth prescribed point, and a tertiary filter part for providing a fifth trap line passing through the first and fourth prescribed points and a sixth trap line passing through the second and third prescribed points.

Abstract: A color solid-state imaging apparatus includes a color solid-state image sensor that produces a color image output signal. This output signal includes horizontal scanning line signals. Different signals are produced by amplifying the levels of these horizontal scanning line signals by different amounts. By substracting the amplified signals, a difference signal can be produced. The amount of amplification is adjusted such that this difference signal is zero when the solid-state image sensor is detecting an image of a predetermined color.

Abstract: A color imaging device includes a solid state image sensor formed with a plurality of picture elements in a two dimensional array. A color filter array has filter portions in one-to-one correspondence with the picture elements. The filter portions are formed as lenses to provide a focusing effect. These lenses can include cyan focusing color filter portions, yellow focusing color filter portions, and full-color light-transmitting focusing color filter portions. All of these filter portions focus incident light using a lens effect onto respective elements on the solid state image sensor. In one embodiment, protective layers are located between filter parts. Other embodiments use tannic acid in their formation. In this way, inaccuracies in color signal separation are minimized.