Sony Corporation

Makoto Onga

Masatoshi Sase

Seisuke Yamanaka

Atsushi Kobayashi

Yasushi Sato

Tsutomu Niimura

In a camera device, the pixel numbers of an imaging device are selected to be greater than the largest number of pixels necessary for the generation of video signals of different aspect ratios and television standards. Output signals of the imaging device are stored in a memory and are then are selectively output. As a result, common use of an imaging device is permitted for camera apparatuses of, for instance, the NTSC, and other standards.

Camera apparatus for forming a plurality of different kinds of pictures

In order to prevent a horizontal stripe and a flicker from taking place due to a gain difference between two circuit systems (channels), the solid state imager of the present invention includes a pilot signal generating means provided within a solid state image pickup element for allowing two output units to generate pilot signals of the same level and a gain correcting circuit provided outside of said solid state image pickup element for comparing levels of the pilot signals passed through the two circuit systems and correcting a gain of one circuit system if the two pilot signals have a level difference therebetween. Further, in a solid state imager of the present invention, a pilot signal for detecting gains of two circuit systems which process signals from two output units of a solid state image pickup element is inserted into a video signal without modifying the rule with respect to the signal timing so that signal charges are supplied from a pilot signal generating means to respective horizontal registers so as to output the pilot signal during the dummy bit output period.

CCD imaging system with two extended horizontal registers

Video signal processing apparatus for use with a video camera having a line scanning line period during which useful video information is provided and a flyback period during which an optical black signal level is provided. Replacement black signal information that is a function of the optical black signal level is inserted into a portion of the flyback period. When the camera is of the type having a complementary color matrix filter which produces odd and even raster scan lines of image pickup signals with different modulation components, another aspect of this invention provides improved contour correction. Modulation components in a scan line of image pickup signals caused by the patterns of filter elements included in the matrix are removed, thereby producing an averaged scan line of image signals from which is extracted a signal component that is uncorrelated from one line to the next. Prior to such extraction, that portion of an averaged scan line of image signals which exceeds a predetermined level that is less than the lowest average level of a scan line of image signals which would saturate video processing circuitry is clipped. The extracted, uncorrelated signal component is combined with an averaged scan line of image signals to produce a contour-emphasized luminance signal.

Video signal processing apparatus for use with a video camera

A plurality of sampled signals that differ in phase by 2.pi./N (where N is an integer greater than 1) from one another are mixed by sequentially supplying the sampled signals to a holding circuit, the holding circuit output is buffered in a buffer amplifier to produce the system output having a beneficial high-frequency characteristic. Deterioration of the frequency characteristic of the synthesized output signal for a high frequency range due to a low-pass filter effect stemming from the zero hold in the sample/hold circuit is prevented by the mixing circuit.

Mixing circuit

A dot sequential color signal which is generated in an image pick-up means, as for example a CCD type image sensor is supplied to a first sampling and hold (S/H) circuit, with the frequency of the sampling pulse used in the first S/H circuit being at a predetermined frequency (FO), and the output of the first S/H circuit is supplied to a second S/H circuit, with the frequency of the sampling pulse used in the second S/H circuit being selected to be N times of the predetermined frequency (NFo), so that the frequency of the sampling noise caused by the sampling operation is relatively high compared with the output signal of the image pick-up means, and thus the cut-off frequency of a low pass filter for eliminating the sampling noise can be selected to be high enough not to attenuate the desired signal.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Makoto Onga