Olympus Corporation

Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Eastman-kodak Company

Takayuki Kijima

Junzo Sakurai

Hideaki Yoshida

Masataka Ide

Keiichi Mori

Yoshitaka Ogawa

John F Hamilton, Jr

John Thomas Compton

Hiroyuki Watanabe

Hitoshi Hashimoto

Hideo Nakamura

Dai Kawase

Masaki Yokouchi

Koji Kato

Keiji Kunishige

Toshiyuki Noguchi

Thomas E DeWeese

Ryuji Hirata

An image sensor for capturing a color image is disclosed having a two-dimensional array having first and second groups of pixels wherein pixels from the first group of pixels have narrower spectral photoresponses than pixels from the second group of pixels and wherein the first group of pixels has individual pixels that have spectral photoresponses that correspond to a set of at least two colors, with the placement of the first and second groups of pixels defining a pattern that has a minimal repeating unit including at least six pixels with at least some rows or columns of the minimal repeating unit composed only of pixels from the second group of pixels, and including ways to combine similarly positioned pixels from at least two adjacent minimal repeating units.

Image sensor with improved light sensitivity

A digital camera records, as image data for storage in storage memory, image data captured a preset time lag period before image data captured at the time of receipt of a capture instruction among a plurality of frames of image data consecutively output by an image sensor until receipt of the capture instruction. A time lag period setting section displays at least one frame of image data stored in a ring buffer to thus receive, from the user, an instruction for selecting image data captured at a user's intended capture timing; computes a period from which the image data specified by the selection instruction are recorded in the temporary storage memory until when image data captured at the time of receipt of the capture instruction are recorded in the temporary storage memory; and registers the computed period as the time lag period in the time lag period storage section.

Digital camera and time lag setting method

To provide a digital camera capable of causing a focus sensor to detect a focus while outputting to an image sensor image data for providing appropriate exposure after having adjusted an aperture ratio of an aperture in an image capture optical system such that appropriate exposure is achieved. A digital camera divides light from a subject having passed through an aperture into two beams of light; causes one of the beams to enter the image sensor to thus cause the image sensor to capture a subject image; and causes the other beam to enter the focus sensor to thus cause the focus sensor to detect a focus from the other beam of light. The digital camera adjusts an aperture ratio of the aperture such that the quantity of the other beam reaches the minimum quantity of light at or above which the focus sensor can detect a focus.

Digital camera and exposure condition determining method

An image sensor for capturing a color image is disclosed having a two-dimensional array having first and second groups of pixels, arranged in rows and columns, wherein pixels from the first group of pixels have narrower spectral photoresponses than pixels from the second group of pixels; and the placement of the first and second groups of pixels defining a pattern that has a minimal repeating unit including at least six pixels, so that at least some rows or columns of the minimal repeating unit are composed only of pixels from the second group and some rows or columns of the minimal repeating unit are composed only of pixels from the first group, wherein the rows or columns that are composed only of pixels from the first group are composed of at most two colors of pixels from the first group.

An imaging apparatus comprises an imaging element, an imaging optical system configured to input an image of an object to the imaging element, a non-volatile memory part for storing defect data concerning the imaging element, and includes a first memory area storing initial defect data concerning the imaging element, and a second memory area different from the first memory area, a defect detection part for detecting defect data concerning the imaging element, and a control part for controlling reading and writing of the defect data on the imaging element from and to the non-volatile memory part, the control part writing, to the second memory area, defect data detected by the defect detection part.

Imaging apparatus that detects pixel defect of an imaging element and imaging method

Image pickup apparatus which stores initial defect data concerning image pickup device and data on later developed defects

In a digital image recording/reproducing apparatus of the invention, image data obtained via a charge-coupled-device (CCD) is processed by a processing circuit so as to produce a luminance signal and color-difference signals, which are supplied to corresponding first frame memories via selectors and temporarily stored therein. Then the data are read from the first frame memory and subjected to data conversion in terms of vertical pixels via line memories and further via vertical pixel conversion circuits. The data is then subjected to data conversion in terms of horizontal pixels via a first horizontal pixel conversion circuit. The resultant data is selectively supplied to a monitor and an electronic viewfinder via a selector or stored in a second frame memory. The data stored in the second frame memory is read via a selector and subjected to data compression. The resultant data is then recorded on a recording medium.

Digital image recording and reproducing apparatus having formats corresponding to pixel configurations

A CCD imaging elementhas a two-dimensional array of a plurality of pixels in the horizontal and vertical directions. A read-out mode switching circuit switches a full read-out mode and a horizontal line thinning-out mode with respect to the imaging elementone over to the other. A read-out circuit reads out an image signal from the imaging element. A defective pixel compensation circuitexecutes compensation for defective pixels on the basis of adjacent pixel signals thereto. In the full read-out mode, the defective pixel compensation is executed by using four normal pixels adjacent to the defective pixel in the horizontal and vertical line directions. In the thinning-out read-out mode, the defective pixel compensation is executed by using two normal pixels adjacent to and on opposite sides of a horizontal line defective pixel in the horizontal line direction, said two normal pixels lying along the same horizontal line as said defective pixel.

Defective image compensation system and method

A camera comprises a beam splitter configured to divide an incident light from a subject through a photographing lens, an eyepiece lens configured to observe the incident light divided by the beam splitter with a viewfinder, a relay lens provided between the beam splitter and the eyepiece lens, and a shutter provided in a vicinity of the relay lens and configured to cut a reverse-incident light from the eyepiece lens.

Camera having a shutter to cut reverse-incident light from the eyepiece lens

An operating condition judging circuit judges a supply voltage level of a power supply source. A controller controls a frequency of sweep-out of unnecessary charge in the imaging element based on an output level of the power supply source for reducing peak consumed current and power consumption and thereby extending battery life.

Method and apparatus for adjusting sweep-out frequency of an imaging apparatus responsive to the condition of a power source

An operating condition judging means judges at least one of consumed current, whether or not a mechanically driven part is being operated, the supply voltage level, the ambient temperature, whether or not the lens stop device is operative, whether or not the strobo device is being charged, and whether or not access operation of a recording device is being performed. A controller controls a frequency of sweep-out of unnecessary charge in the imaging element on the basis of the output of an operating condition judging device. Thus, it is possible to effectively reduce the peak consumed current through the entire imaging apparatus, reduce the power consumption and extend the battery life.

Method and apparatus for adjusting sweep-out frequency for an imaging apparatus responsive to an operating state of a strobo means

According to a driving method for an interline type CCD imaging device, the voltage level to be applied to a channel electrode in a vertical charge transfer line to which at least one photodiode is connected is controlled to form a shallower potential well just in the channel. At least the voltage levels applied to channel electrodes in the VCCD connected to the PDs are controlled such that potential wells formed within respective channels becomes shallower.

Solid-state imaging apparatus capable of reducing leakage charge under the read gate

In a solid state image pick-up device, charge transfer gate pulse timing for different phases is intentionally offset resulting in different exposure times for different image element subsets of the image pick-up device. The amount of added signal compensation for an individual pixel is determined as a function of one or more of: exposure time, pixel output signal level, and strobe use.

Image pickup apparatus including compensation responsive to phased drive of charge transfer gates

An electronic imaging system includes a CCD image sensor arrangement having a two dimensional array of pixels. The pixel array converts light incident thereon to an electric signal. The pixels are arranged in a plurality of horizontal rows or lines, the lines being arranged vertically. A control arrangement selectively controls operational modes of the system. One mode provides for sequential scan reading out of pixel signals for entire lines of the CCD for still picture recording. Another mode provides for reading out pixel signals concerning k (k is a positive integer) vertically continuous lines of the CCD for still picture recording or dynamic image processing. Thus it is possible to provide a high pixel density solid-state image sensor output at a high frame rate without use of any high drive frequency.

Electronic imaging system

An image pick-up apparatus including a CCDgenerating an image signal, a timing generatorgenerating various kinds of timing signals for controlling operation timings of CCD, a V drivergenerating various kinds of driving signals for driving CCU in response to the timing signals, a power supply circuitgenerating a power supply voltage Vapplied to the timing generator and V driver, and a CPUcontrolling an application of the power supply voltage to the timing generatorand V driverand controlling the operation of the timing generator. The CPUhas a first operation mode, in which the timing generator is set into a standby mode such that a leak current from the timing generator to the V driver is avoided when the power supply Voltage is not applied to the V driver, and a second operation mode, in which the timing generator is set into a normal operating condition after the power supply voltage has been applied to the V driver. It is no longer necessary to provide a buffer at an input of the V driver, and the leak current can be effectively avoided without increasing a cost of the apparatus.

Growing community of inventors

Akiruno, Japan

Takayuki Kijima