Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Other

Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Akira Toba

Akio Kobayashi

Toshinobu Haruki

Toshiyuki Toyofuku

Nobuhide Dotsubo

Ko Yokokawa

Kenichi Kikuchi

Hiroshi Tsunoda

Hideto Hayashi

Akiko Yamanouchi

A motion detection apparatus includes a CPU. The CPU detects partial motion vectors of an object scene corresponding to motion detection blocks based on raw image data. The CPU also reduces a weighted amount allocated to a motion detection block which captures a partial object scene having a contrast below a reference out of the motion detection blocks. Furthermore, the CPU performs a weighted average process referring to the weighted amount on the partial motion vectors so as to detect a motion of the entire object scene. The CPU obtains a minimum correlation value of a luminance difference between frames of the raw image data corresponding to each of the motion detection blocks, and executes a process for increasing the reference according to an increase of the obtained minimum correlation value corresponding to the motion detection block which captures the partial object scene having a contrast below the reference.

Motion detection apparatus

A video camera includes an LCD monitor. On the LCD monitor, an object scene image belonging to a camera-shake correction area out of the object scene image captured by an imaging surface is displayed. A CPU determines whether or not a movement of the object scene image captured by the imaging surface satisfies a pan/tilt condition or a camera-shake condition referring to a threshold value. The threshold value is set to a large numerical value as a zoom magnification is high. A camera-shake condition determining process is started in place of a pan/tilt condition determining process when the pan/tilt condition is satisfied. Also, the pan/tilt condition determining process is started in place of the camera-shake condition determining process when the camera-shake condition is satisfied. In addition, the camera-shake correction area is moved in such a direction as to cancel the movement of the object scene image captured by the imaging surface when the pan/tilt condition is not satisfied.

Video camera and image extracting apparatus utilized for same

A digital camera showing on a display a graphical user interface having a first display portion for inputting priority ratio of high speed in access to an external memory card to recordable capacity in formatting the external memory card, a second display portion for showing a cluster size, and a third display portion for showing the number of images recordable to the external memory card. The recording medium is formatted with the cluster size shown on the second display portion in response to the user's manipulation.

Recording medium management device and digital camera incorporating same

A digital camera includes a memory card. The memory card is previously recorded with template image data that has been subjected to conversion of Y-data effective range and JPEG compressing. A CPU expands this template image data by a JPEG method, and then subjects only expanded data greater than a predetermined value to effective-range conversion that is reverse to the above. The CPU composites the template image data thus obtained with photographed image data, thereby creating composite image data.

Method and apparatus for image processing using a template image

A data recording apparatus includes a slot for receiving a memory card having a disk, a flash memory and a controller. Each time one frame of compressed image data is recorded to the disk, a vacant capacity value of the disk is written to the flash memory. This vacant capacity value is read out according to an instruction given from a CPU. When the vacant capacity of the disk is lower than the vacant capacity of a compressed image area formed in an SDRAM, the CPU invalidates the vacant capacity of the compressed image area in a portion exceeding the vacant capacity of the disk. This restricts the number of frames to be picture-taken.

Data recording apparatus

A memory access control circuit including a memory and a slot for receiving therein a memory card having a controller. Address, CS (chip select) and We (output enable) signals different in active period from one another are supplied to the controller. Due to this, ID data signals are read from the memory. The CPU determines for properness on the read-out ID data signals. Specifically, when the common data contained in the ID data signal exhibits a predetermined value, the ID data signal is determined proper. However, when the common data does not exhibit the predetermined value, the ID data signal is determined to be improper. The CPU determines as an optimal active period a shortest active period among the active periods that proper ID data signals have been read out.

Memory access circuit and memory access control circuit

A digital camera includes a button to renew a displayed image. If an operator depresses the renewing button for 2 seconds or longer, then a continuous reproducing mode is set. If a finger is released from the renewing button, the mode is switched from the continuous reproducing mode to a normal reproducing mode. A CPU, in the continuous reproducing mode, expands thumbnail image data and magnifies the expanded data to display the thumbnail images on an LCD. In the normal reproducing mode, on the other hand, original image data is expanded, and an expanded original image is displayed on the LCD. That is, the thumbnail images are reproduced in a continuous manner during depression of a reproducing button by the operator, while the thumbnail image is turned into an original image if the operator releases his finger from the reproducing button.

Digital camera adapted to reproduce an original image and a thumbnail image

A memory access circuit includes a memory and a slot for receiving therein a memory card having a controller. Address, CS (chip select) and We (output enable) signals different in active period from one another are supplied to the controller. Due to this, ID data signals are read from the memory. The CPU determines for properness on the read-out ID data signals. Specifically, when the common data contained in the ID data signal exhibits a predetermined value, the ID data signal is determined proper. However, when the common data does not exhibit the predetermined value, the ID data signal is determined improper. The CPU determines as an optimal active period a shortest active period among the active periods that proper ID data signals have been read out.

An electronic picture stabilizer includes a microcomputer which determines whether or not each of detection areas is a valid area or invalid area. If the detection areas adjacent in a vertical direction are invalid areas, the detection areas are moved so as to maximize a distance between the detection areas adjacent in the vertical direction, and if the detection areas adjacent in a horizontal direction are invalid areas, the detection areas are moved in a manner that a distance between the detection areas adjacent in the horizontal direction becomes maximum. If the number of the invalid areas is a predetermined value, the detection areas are moved at four (4) corners of an image field. By moving the detection areas, the invalid areas become valid areas. If all the detection areas continuously become the valid areas during a predetermined number of fields, the detection areas are returned to their initial positions.

Electronic picture stabilizer with movable detection areas and video

In a digital still camera, a character font readout control circuit (20) has the character constituted by 46 lines read out from a font memory (23) into a display memory (8) when the monitor device complies with the NTSC system, and the number of lines of the character increased to 54 lines and then written into the display memory (8) when the monitor device complies with the system. The memory capacity can be reduced since the font for only the NTSC system, and not the system,needs to be stored.

Image recording and reproduction apparatus

A video camera includes a CCD imager, and an image corresponding to a camera signal outputted from all of charge areas of the CCD imager is outputted on a monitor in a normal mode. In a quadruplication mode, four (4) images corresponding to camera signals repeatedly outputted from one of quarter areas of the charge area are outputted on the monitor. A high-frequency luminance component value generation circuit generates a high-frequency luminance component value on the basis of a luminance signal to be outputted at a center of the monitor in the normal mode, and a high-frequency luminance component value on the basis of a luminance signal to be outputted at a center of one of quarter areas of the monitor in the quadruplication mode. A microcomputer controls a focus motor on the basis of the high-frequency luminance component values obtained in such manners so as to adjust a focus.

Video camera with high speed mode

A video camera (10) includes a microcomputer (26) which determines whether each of detection areas defined within an image field (44) is valid or invalid. If there is a valid detection area, luminance addition data and color addition data are evaluated by an addition data generating circuit (46) for each of addition regions of 64, for example, which are defined by dividing the image field (44). Differences of the addition data between a given addition region and a left adjacent addition region in a horizontal direction and an upper adjacent addition region in a vertical direction are evaluated, and the differences are compared with predetermined values. If comparisons satisfy predetermined conditions, a count value is incremented. On the basis of a total count value of the horizontal direction and a total count value of the vertical direction, it is determined whether or not an object is an object having repeated pattern, and a whole motion vector V.sub.n is evaluated by methods being different from each other according to a determination result. Then, an integration vector S.sub.n is evaluated according to a status of the video camera, whereby a blurring of an image due to an unintentional motion of the video camera can be corrected.

Video camera with electronic picture stabilizer

A video camera includes a motion detecting circuit in which correlative values of pixels at a present field are evaluated through the comparison of an image signal of a last field and an image signal of the present field. In the motion detecting circuit, an average correlative value and a minimum correlative value are further evaluated. A microcomputer determines whether or not these correlative values satisfy predetermined conditions for each of detection areas defined within an image field. A detection area which satisfies all the predetermined conditions becomes a valid detection area. A whole motion vector is detected by methods different from each other according to the number of the valid detection.

A video camera including a motion detecting circuit in which correlative values of pixels at a present field are evaluated through the comparison of an image signal of a last field and an image signal of the present field. In the motion detecting circuit, an average correlative value and a minimum correlative value are further evaluated. A microcomputer determines whether or not these correlative values satisfy predetermined conditions for each of detection areas defined within an image field. A detection area which satisfies all the predetermined conditions becomes a valid detection area. A whole motion vector is detected by methods different from each other according to the number of the valid detection areas.

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Osaka, Japan

Akira Toba