Abstract: In a solid-state image pick-up device comprising photoelectric converting devices 3r, 3g and 3b formed at a predetermined array interval in row and column directions on a semiconductor substrate, vertical transfer paths 4a, 4b, 4c, . . . provided in the column direction of the photoelectric converting device and serving to read and transfer a signal charge obtained by the photoelectric converting device, and a shielding film for covering an upper part of the vertical transfer path, a pore 7 is provided in a place corresponding to an imaginary pixel point position in the shielding film. Consequently, an actual signal (an imaginary pixel point charge) corresponding to the amount of a received light on the imaginary pixel point through the pore 7 is stored in the vertical transfer path.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating a sensor for highlights and for processing highlights is described. In an embodiment, a method includes identifying highlight regions in an image of a scene. The method further includes calculating flare intensity values for the image using the locations of the highlight regions. The method also includes subtracting the flare intensity values from the image.

Abstract: A technique for producing electronic video signals representative of color images of a scene includes use of a regular CCD for the color channel and a back-thinned CCD for a luminance channel; a technique for deriving blue and reconstructing full resolution R, G, B from full resolution white and a red and green checkerboard pattern; and a technique for deriving an automatic gain control signal using an unshielded white area on the CCD to obtain a white reference.

Abstract: An average luminance calculation section 7 calculating an average luminance of video data to output an average luminance level, latches 8 to 10 delaying said average luminance levels by one-frame portion respectively to output them, a LUT 2 outputting a pre-set maximum correction factor e when the video data is input, correction factor calculation sections 3 to 6, adders 11 and 12, and a multiplier 12 are provided, each of the correction factor calculation sections compares the corresponding average luminance level out of the average luminance levels, which were output, with a plurality of correction thresholds respectively to carry out weighting of the maximum correction factor e responding to the comparison result and to output it as each correction factor, and simultaneously the adders 11 and 11, and the multiplier 12 correct the luminance level of the video data based on the average value of these correction factors.

Abstract: A technique for producing electronic video signals representative of color images of a scene, includes the following steps: providing a luminance sensor and a color sensor having a color filter thereover; providing a pellicle beamsplitter, and providing a motion picture film camera type of lens system that focuses light from the image, via the beamsplitter, onto the luminance sensor and the color sensor; and producing electronic video signals from outputs of the luminance sensor and the color sensor. The pellicle can be ultrasonically excited to effect optical prefiltering.

Abstract: The invention provides an image-sensing device for auto-judging exposure time, which includes a photoelectric sensing element, a measuring unit, and a row-column selector. The photoelectric sensing element is composed of a plurality of sensing units arranged in arrays to sense the light source and convert the sensed light energy into a current signal for outputting. Besides, a measuring unit is employed to measure the current signal and a corresponding exposure time is calculated according to the sensed current signal. Also, the row-column selector can divide the sensing units into several sections by setting up the row-column selector to select a specific section for highlight exposure. Therefore, not only can the invention instantly measure the sensed optical current sensed by the photoelectric sensing element to achieve the effect of auto-judging exposure time, but the invention also is selective in exposure, low in production cost and small in volume.

Abstract: A color scanning technique that maintains a high image quality while permitting improved scanning speed and improved perceived resolution. A color pixel array and a luminance pixel array are generated representative of a target object. The pixel arrays are related in that one or more luminance pixels of the luminance pixel array cover each pixel of the color pixel array. A luminance value is sensed for each luminance pixel, and three primary color values are sensed for each color pixel. A measured luminance value is then associated with each respective color pixel wherein the measured luminance value is a function of the sensed luminance values for the one or more luminance pixels covering the respective color pixel. A derived luminance value is also calculated for each respective color pixel wherein the derived luminance value is a function of the three sensed primary color values for the respective color pixel.

Abstract: A frame/field converter circuit addition-processes image data constituting respective fields in a ratio corresponding to an image pickup mode or the like and outputs the resulting image data. As a result of this, it is possible to perform addition processing on image data constituting respective fields in an optimum ratio corresponding to an image pickup mode or the like and output the resulting image data. This makes it possible to improve the frequency characteristic and S/N ratio of the image and thereby enhance the quality of the displayed image. A contour compensation circuit performs contour compensation processing with respect to the frequency band of the image data in correspondence with the zoom magnification. As a result of this, it is possible to mitigate the level of the return noises generated in correspondence with the zoom magnification and thereby prevent the deterioration of the frequency characteristic and S/N ratio of the image to thereby enhance the quality of the image.

Abstract: An imaging device, such as an electric camera, in which an optical image of an object is converted into a set of image data. The device includes a line sensor and an area sensor. A lens system impinges the optical image onto the line and area sensors, where the first and second data are produced, respectively. At this time, a scanning mechanism moves the line sensor relative to the optical image to scan the optical image. The first and second data is then synthesized into the image data to be output.

Abstract: An image signal processor for correcting a difference in level between luminance signals in horizontal scanning lines using a control signal generated in accordance with a color signal, wherein the color signals are two color difference signals (R-Y) and (B-Y), and wherein the control signal includes a linear combination of the two color difference signals (R-Y) and (B-Y).

Abstract: A solid state image sensor and an imaging method using a spatial pixel offset, in which in each field, charges of pixels of solid state imaging devices for green color and red/blue colors are separately summed and mass center of the summed charges for the green color is made to be coincident with that for the red/blue colors, enabling to form an aperture form without degrading resolution and to improve sensitivity and dynamic range without resolution drop.

Abstract: By applying the offset sampling using four-plane prism provided with four solid state imaging devices at four light output planes, chromatic aberration of lenses is eliminated even to the peripheral part of the imaging plane, and moire suppression effect is much enhanced. Furthermore, by using a plural number of matrix circuits, and by producing the luminance signal by changing the matrix ratios in low frequency range and in high frequency range, moire suppression effect is further enhanced, and luminance error is also eliminated.

Abstract: Solid-state imaging elements each having a smaller number of pixels are employed to realize an imaging device for taking a high-definition picture which is four or more times larger in the number of pixels than each of the solid-state imaging elements, and also an apparatus for recording/playing back (or transmitting) the high-definition picture. A two-dimensional space which includes, at least, nH spatial sampling points in a horizontal direction and nV spatial sampling points (nV lines) in a vertical direction, totaling (nH.times.nV) spatial sampling points, is imaged under the condition that light is sensed at, at most, 1/2 of the sampling points of the two-dimensional space. Thus, the imaging device delivers as its output a video signal containing effective pixel information items which correspond to the light-sensed sampling points and which are, at most, (nH.times.nV)/2 in terms of the number of pixels.

Abstract: A first solid-state imaging element and second and third solid-state imaging elements are arranged spatially so as to be horizontally shifted half a pixel pitch from one another so that a light-sensitive portion of each pixel of the second and third solid-state imaging elements may correspond to a light-insensitive portion of each pixel of the first solid-state imaging element. A high-frequency component synthesizer circuit produces the high-frequency components of a luminance signal on the basis of the signal E.sub.G obtained by performing nonlinear process on the output of the first solid-state imaging element and the signal E.sub.R +E.sub.B obtained by performing nonlinear process on the outputs of the second and third solid-state imaging elements and mixing the resulting signals. At this time, based on the result of comparing the output signal of the first solid-state imaging element with the respective output signals of the second and third solid-state imaging elements, the mixing ratio of signal E.sub.