Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Nobuo Hashimoto

Hiroaki Kubo

Gen Sasaki

Hiroshi Ootsuka

Takashi Kondo

Takehiro Katoh

Kenji Mizumoto

Yoshihiko Azuma

Keizou Ochi

Yoshihiro Hara

Toru Ishii

Kenji Nakamura

Takeshi Ogoshi

Masaaki Kuriyama

Hiroshi Hirata

Takeshi Aoi

Yuuichi Kunisaki

Yoshito Konishi

An image printer system that prints out images using image data taken by a digital camera and recorded in a recording medium and that saves the image data in the recording medium in another recording medium. In this system, parameters are set for the printing operation and for the saving operation before they are begun, and the two operations are performed simultaneously or in one sequence. The image data may be corrected for the printing, but the image data that is saved is the original image data.

Image printer system with print and save functions

An image reader apparatus includes: an image pickup device which is controllably exposed to an object to produce an image signal of the object; a mover which moves the object and the image pickup device relative to each other; a storage operable to store an image signal; a writing device which is operable to write an image signal in the storage; a reading device which is operable to read an image signal from the storage; a discriminator which discriminates whether one of the writing device and the reading device is in operation; and a controller which controls the exposure of the image pickup device in accordance with a result of the discriminator.

Image reader apparatus

An automatic exposure control apparatus comprises a skin color extracting circuit for extracting a skin-colored portion from an input video signal and a focus condition detecting circuit for detecting a focus condition of the skin-colored portion. Exposure is controlled based on outputs of the two circuits. That is, when a skin-colored portion is extracted and it is detected that the skin-colored portion is in an in-focus condition, exposure is controlled so as to be appropriate with respect to the skin-colored portion.

Automatic exposure control apparatus

An automatic exposure control apparatus comprises a skin color extracting circuit for extracting a skin-colored portion from an input video signal and a focus condition detecting circuit for detecting a focus condition of the skin-colored portion. Exposure is controlled based on outputs of the two circuits. That is, when a skin-colored portion is extracted and it is detected that the skin-colored portion is in an in-focus condition, exposure is controlled so as to be appropriate with respect to the skin-colored portion. A skin color correction unit can correct colors corresponding to the skin color from the video signal.

Image sensing device that can correct colors corresponding to skin in a

A video camera comprising a taking lens, an image taking circuit which generates a video signal by receiving a light having passed through the taking lens, a knee correction circuit which compresses a video signal generated by the image taking circuit and having a level as high as or higher than a predetermined level, a detection circuit which detects a luminance distribution condition of a field, a pedestal adjusting circuit which adjusts a black level of the video signal generated by the image taking circuit and a control circuit which changes a compression method of a video signal in the knee correction circuit and an adjusting method of the black level in the pedestal adjusting circuit according to a luminance distribution condition of a field detected by the detection circuit. According to the present invention, it is possible to perform various controls in response to a luminance condition of a field.

Video camera having a video signal processing apparatus

A distance measuring arrangement for use, for example, in a camera and the like equipped with an automatic focus control system which includes an illuminance intensity detecting portion for detecting the illuminance intensity of a target object and a distance signal correcting portion for correcting the distance signal from a distance measuring portion according to the output of the illuminance intensity detecting portion so as to obtain the distance signal not affected by the illuminance intensity of the target object.

Distance measuring arrangement

In a motion picture camera, the response of a device for automatic focus adjustment is retarded, so that the change in the focus condition of the camera and the resultant change in angle of view and magnification of the image do not take place so rapidly during the photographing. An integrating circuit is provided to retard a signal indicative of out-of-focus condition, or a pulse generator is provided to intermittently power a drive motor for focus adjustment. The integrating circuit and the pulse generator are actuated concurrently with commencement of photographing.

Growing community of inventors

Ashiya, Japan

Nobuo Hashimoto