Minolta Company, Ltd.

Sony Corporation

Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc.

Toshihito Kido

Hiroyuki Okada

Kenji Tsuji

Masahito Niikawa

Tsutomu Honda

Satoshi Hamada

Yoshiyuki Tanaka

Manabu Inoue

Toshiyuki Tanaka

Dai Shintani

Nobuharu Murashima

Jun Minakuti

Kenji Mizumoto

Hirokazu Yagura

Yasuaki Serita

Masayuki Nakasa

Yoshiharu Tanaka

Junji Takahata

Takeru Butsusaki

Satoshi Fukumoto

Yoshiharau Tanaka

Haruki Nakayama

In an imaging apparatus with a shake correction function, the influence of front curtain shock is prevented from being exerted on a shake correction function section (shake correction drive). The imaging apparatus includes a shake detection sensorthat detects an amount of shake applied to a digital camera, a shake correction unitthat performs a shake correction drive of an imaging deviceon the basis of a shake amount detection signal, a shutter unitthat is arranged immediately in front of the imaging deviceand performs an optical-path opening operation and an optical-path blocking operation for opening and blocking an optical path of light guided to the imaging device, a timing control circuitthat supplies a predetermined reset signal to each pixel for each predetermined pixel line so as to start exposure on the imaging device, and a shutter control sectionthat controls exposure of the imaging device. At the time of shooting, the shutter control sectionexecutes an electronic shutter control (electronic focal plane shutter) for starting exposure on the imaging deviceby means of the reset signal supplied to each pixel from the timing control circuit

Imaging apparatus with shake correction

A plurality of exchange lenses designed for object exposure regions of different sizes can be selectively mounted on the present imaging device. The imaging device determines whether a mismatch state is present, in which the size of the object exposure region of an exchange lens mounted is smaller than the size of the imaging region of an imaging element. If it is determined that a mismatch state is present, an image of a partial region of the imaging region is generated and the image of the partial region is displayed as a live view image in a relatively large area (an area larger than an area for displaying the partial region in a live view display when no mismatch state is present). Accordingly, techniques for performing a live view display with favorable visibility are provided.

Imaging device and imaging system

An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and has an electronic focal plane shutter function for providing a predetermined reset signal to the pixels on a pixel line to pixel line basis to perform an exposure start operation. A mechanical focal plane shutter is disposed immediately before the image sensor. A control unit causes the image sensor to perform the exposure start operation using the electronic focal plane shutter function a predetermined period of time after a curtain group of the mechanical focal plane shutter is open and causes the mechanical focal plane shutter to perform an exposure end operation when a shutter speed is set to low. The control unit causes the mechanical focal plane shutter to perform the exposure start operation and the exposure end operation when the shutter speed is set to high.

Imaging apparatus

There is provided an imaging unit: including an image sensor with a number of pixels arranged in a matrix, the pixels having color pixels where color filters are disposed, and white pixels where the color filters are not disposed; a sampling circuit section for sampling pixel signals generated in the image sensor; and a main controller for controlling the image sensor and/or the sampling circuit section to sample the pixel signals generated in the white pixels or the pixel signals generated in the color pixels sequentially in a time-series manner.

Enhancing image quality imaging unit and image sensor

A digital camera comprises a camera body and an image sensing unit. The image sensing unit includes a taking lens, a driver of the taking lens and an image sensor, and is attachable to the camera body directly or by a cable. The camera body includes an image processor for processing image data from the image sensing unit, a flash for emitting flash light, a recorder for recording the image data, a display for displaying images, and other circuits. An interface for a personal computer and a video capture adaptor can be attached to the camera body instead of the image sensing unit. The camera body is provided with a power source section having power supplying portions each assigned to a specific circuit such as the lens driver, the image sensor, the flash, the image processor, the interface and the adaptor. The camera body detects what is attached thereto and whether the cable is used, and supplies power only to those circuits that should be activated in accordance with the result of the detection.

Digital camera including power supply controller responsive to connection detection

A digital camera includes a camera main body, an image sensing unit which is detachably connected to the camera main body and electrically connectable to the camera main body via a cable in a state that the image sensing unit is detached from the camera main body. The image sensing unit includes a taking lens, an image pick-up element for picking up an object image focused by the taking lens, and an A/D converter which converts an analog image signal outputted from the image pick-up element into a digital image signal. The camera main body includes an image processor for subjecting a prescribed image processing to the digital image signal outputted from the A/D converter.

Digital camera, camera main body and method for processing signal

A digital camera includes a main body and an image pickup section connected to the main body rotatably. The main body has a display monitor which displays an object picture. A switch SCPOS detects rotation position of the image pickup section When the image pickup direction of the image pickup section is detected to agree generally with the direction to the side of display monitor, the image data taken by the image pickup section is displayed in the display monitor with reversal upside down, while it is recorded without reversal in an IC card Thus, when a photographer takes a picture thereof, the picture can be taken and recorded at a fast speed without a complicated and expensive circuit.

Method and apparatus for storing and displaying an image taken by a rotatable image pickup portion

A camera has a function of determining whether a frame is exposed or unexposed by reproducing signals recorded on a magnetic-recording region of a film. When a film cartridge is loaded into the camera, the film is fed out therefrom. If it is determined that a noise having a level higher than a reference level is included in a reproduced signal read by a magnetic head, for reading the signals recorded on the magnetic-recording region, before the magnetic head reaches the magnetic-recording region, film feeding is stopped and a warning is issued.

Apparatus for reading magnetic information

An apparatus provided with a magnetic head including a core, a writing coil and a reading coil wound around the core; a writing circuit connected with the writing coil for driving the writing coil; a reading circuit connected with the reading coil for generating a read signal based on an output of the reading coil; a power source for supplying an electric power to the writing circuit; and a controller for suspending the supply of electric power to the writing circuit when the reading circuit is in operation.

Magnetic head with read and write coils and a circuit for interrupting a

When exposure of the entire film is completed, the time period until rewinding is begun is read from an EEPROM and set in a timer, and the timer is then started. If the switch to change the data recorded before the time period set in the timer elapses is switched to ON, revision mode to rewrite the print number data for the final frame is entered. If the switch to perform revisions is not operated during the time period set in the timer, and the set time period elapses, or if the rewind switch is switched to ON before the time period set in the timer elapses, the film is rewound and camera operation is completed with the completion of rewinding.

Camera having capability of changing recorded magnetic information

A camera includes a feeder for feeding a film having magnetic recording portions, a reader for magnetically scanning magnetic recording portions to generate scan signals, and a judger for judging whether or not a magnetic recording portion has been recorded with magnetic data by comparing scan signals with a threshold value, and a warning device for generating a warning when judgment of the judger is impossible. This apparatus can ensure more accurate judgment as to whether a signal picked up from each recording portion is a magnetic signal.

Apparatus provided with a film frame judgement device

Apparatus provided with a film frame judgment device

A microcomputer provided in a camera body uses a data signal read by sensors facing the data disk of a film cartridge as a positional signal to set the stop position of the spool for providing exposed/unexposed indication to the film. The voltage of the power supply of the camera is detected to modulate a pulse duration by which the number of rotations of the motor can be kept constant in rewinding the film. The sensors are disposed upstream in the rotational direction of the data disk by a certain angle .theta. with respect to the point at which the spool is stopped in order to prevent the dislocation between the display mark of the cartridge and the pointing mark of the data disk. The microcomputer discriminates whether or not data has been read. The mechanism for feeding the film is controlled to set the film at a predetermined position after the decision that the data has been read.

System for providing an accurate indication whether film is exposed or

A camera, which uses a film cartridge having a film exposure status display, comprises an E2PROM. The E2PROM stores the fact that the film status determination operation is underway when film status determination operation is underway. When a power supply is removed while the film status determination is operating and then the power supply is mounted, the camera operates an initial process. The film exposure status display is set in `exposed` because the E2PROM holds that the film status determination operation is underway. A camera is .provided that deems the film in the film cartridge to have been exposed and does not perform exposure if the power supply is cut off while the determination of the film status of the film in the film cartridge mounted in the camera is underway.

Growing community of inventors

Matsubara, Japan

Toshihito Kido