Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Yuichiro Hattori

Hisataka Hirose

Ken Terasawa

Akira Nakaya

Shinichi Yamashita

Tatsuro Yamazaki

Hirofumi Nakajima

Koichi Ueda

Ichiro Kuwana

Ichirou Kuwana

This invention relates to a video camera for inputting an image of an object as an electrical signal. This video camera includes a CCD, a clock selector for selecting a clock having a frequency corresponding to a read object region in which pixels are read out from the CCD, a CCD controller for driving the CCD in accordance with the clock having the selected frequency to read out pixels from the read object region, and a monitor for displaying an image on the basis of the pixels read out from the CCD.

Image sensor with adjustable readout area

Image input apparatus employing read region size determination

Two image signals from a non-interlace scanning type CCD at predetermined horizontal and vertical sampling frequencies are respectively inputted to automatic gain controllers, then to a color separator where the input signals are separated into luminance signal and color difference signals. The luminance signal is processed by a two-dimensional filter which traps frequency components having &frac12; of the horizontal and vertical sampling frequencies. Accordingly, a variation in amplification characteristics of the automatic gain controllers is compensated as a variation of luminance signals having Nyquist frequencies in the horizontal and vertical directions. Thereby, bad effect due to variations in amplification characteristics of the automatic gain controllers is reduced even through two output signals from the non-interlace scanning type CCD are processed by the respective automatic gain controllers.

Image sensing apparatus image signal controller and method

A data storage device includes a main memory into/from which data can be written or read out and an input/output device for receiving the data to be written into the main memory or generating the data read out from the main memory. An addressing device outputs first address data which represent an access address of the input/output device to the main memory on a basis of a unit composed of a predetermined number of data. A convertor converts the first address data into second address data representing an address in the main memory on a basis of single data and an address controller controls the access address of the input/output device to the main memory in accordance with the second address data.

Large capacity data storage device

Image signals of all the pixels of a non-interlace scanning type image sensing device are sequentially outputted by a plurality of output terminals in one field period, the outputted image signals are amplified by a plurality of amplifiers each of which is provided for each of the output terminal, then the amplified signal levels of the image signals are detected by a detector. Gains to be used in the plurality of amplifiers are corrected on the basis of the signal levels detected by the detector and correction data for correcting difference in signal level of the image signals amplified by identical gains by the plurality of amplifiers, thereby correcting a variation in characteristics of the plurality of amplifiers.

Method and apparatus for gain adjustment of an image sensor

According to an information signal correction processing apparatus of the invention which includes a plurality of clip circuits, a knee circuit, an adder, and a controller, an information signal which has been obtained through the clip circuits by clipping an input information signal in accordance with a plurality of clipping characteristics which have been arbitrarily set and an information signal which has been obtained through the knee circuit by voltage dividing the input information signal in accordance with a voltage dividing ratio which has been arbitrarily set are added by the adder and, when the resultant signal is outputted, the plurality of clipping characteristics and the voltage dividing ratio are respectively controlled by the controller, so that the information signal can be processed without being deteriorated.

Information signal processing apparatus

A memory capable of memorizing a video signal has part of its address area into which an information signal is inhibited from being written. A writing address controller for cyclically specifying writing addresses of the memory cyclically specifies writing addresses in the remaining address area except for the part of address area to allow a plurality of different moving picture scenes to be memorized in the one and same memory. For according to a large capacity main memory, a sub-memory is interposed to access to the main memory with a predetermined information amount being as the unit, thereby facilitating address management of the main memory as well as improving a utilizing effeciency of the main memory.

Image storing device including an inhibiting function

A filter member which can alternatively arrange a proper one of a plurality of kinds of color temperature converting filters onto an optical axis of an image pickup device is provided and the driver of the filter member is controlled by using a plurality of color signals which are generated from the image pickup device, so that a proper color temperature converting filter can always be used. An adjusting mechanism for adjusting relative gains of a plurality of color signals which are generated from the image pickup device is further provided. By also adjusting the adjusting mechanism by using a plurality of color signals which are generated from the image pickup device, an automatic white balance control in a wide color temperature range can be accomplished.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Yuichiro Hattori