Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.

Junji Kamimura

Takuya Imaide

Toshiro Kinugasa

Masaru Noda

Hiroyasu Ohtsubo

Hiroshi Sakurai

Hiroyuki Komatsu

Noriyuki Iura

Kouji Asada

Akihito Nishizawa

Junji Shiokawa

Ryuji Nishimura

Hirotomo Sai

Tsutomu Usui

Yuichi Nonaka

Norihiko Nakano

Shinichi Nonaka

Toshirou Kinugasa

A signal processor capable of extracting evaluated values used for automatic control more appropriately, including: a feature detection unit which detects a feature change position of any target pixel and its peripheral pixels in an input picture signal; a hold unit which holds the position information; a region creation unit which creates a region by excluding the held positions from an evaluated value extraction region; and an evaluated value extraction unit which extracts evaluated values in accordance with the region; wherein unnecessary portions different in feature from the periphery are extracted in accordance with any pixel unit by detection of the feature change position so that the feature change position is excluded from the evaluated value extraction region.

Signal processor for adjusting image quality of an input picture signal

In an imaging apparatus having two imaging devices, a converter module which synthesizes the two signals of each horizontal line produced from the two imaging devices to thereby convert the two signals into a single composite signal, a line memory which cooperates with the converter module to convert the signals, a line delay module which accumulates the output signals from the converter module, a line memory which cooperates with the line delay module to accumulate the signals, an exposure controller, an auto focus controller, a white balance controller, a color signal processor module, a luminance signal processor module, and an arithmetic processor module for stereo imaging process, the output signals from the plurality of imaging devices are converted to the single composite signal and processed on a one-channel processing basis.

Imaging apparatus

An imaging apparatus which can correct a shaking of the hand whether a moving picture is taken or a still picture is taken. Exposure is carried out within a shorter time than a predetermined exposure time to output a charge. Exposure and delivery of charge is carried out plural times to accumulate charges. An address for accumulation is changed in accordance with information of a shaking occurring within the shorter time and a signal due to the shaking and a signal before the shaking are accumulated at the address. Alternatively, a camera-shake is detected by using a sensor such as a gyroscope adapted to detect an angular velocity or an acceleration of a shaking of the imaging apparatus itself.

Disclosed is an imaging apparatus capable of realizing a camera shake correction function while reducing the size and power consumption of the apparatus without deteriorating the use efficiency of an image sensor thereof. An imaging device has photoelectric conversion elements arranged two-dimensionally and a transfer path for transferring electric charge converted by the photoelectric conversion element. A motion detection unit detects motion of the apparatus according to timing pulses generated by a time management circuit at shorter intervals than exposure time. A drive circuit transfers the electric charge previously read onto the transfer path for a predetermined distance according to the detected motion. Electric charge newly read out and converted by the photoelectric conversion elements at the intervals of the timing pulses is added to the previous electric charge which has been transferred on transfer path.

The contour correction processing of a still picture that can suppress the generation of a black edge due to an undershoot in a contour portion is enabled while increasing a feeling for resolution. Moreover, an interpolation device that improves the sharpness of a digital picture is provided without increasing a circuit scale.

Contour correcting video signal processing apparatus

A still picture recording digital camera including a light quantity limiter for interrupting incident light to the camera; an image pickup unit including a pixel for converting the incident light to an electric pixel signal and outputting the pixel signal as a digital image signal; a signal processor for generating a digital image signal having a predetermined format; a recording unit for recording the digital image signal output from the image pickup unit or the signal processor; the light quantity limiter limiting the incident light quantity to a predetermined quantity and then interrupting the incident light; the image pickup unit outputting a dynamic picture digital image signal when the light quantity limiter is limiting the incident light quantity, and outputting a still picture image signal after the light quantity limiter has interrupted the incident light; and the signal processor performing different signal processing operations when the signal processor has received a digital image signal for a dynamic picture and a digital image signal for a still picture.

Still picture recording digital camera with output unit having delay

Signal reading and processing arrangement of still picture recording

Still picture recording digital camera which outputs a dynamic picture

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Junji Kamimura